Chicago Cubs may not be as “in” on free agent Japanese pitching star as reported

The Chicago Cubs, if one were to judge from the headlines being generated, are a whisker away from signing Japanese pitching import Tatsuya Imai. In multiple media accounts, Chicago is listed as a finalist to land the 27-year-old NPB free agent phenom.

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The stories intensified recently as suggestions emerged that the New York Yankees, said to be the co-favorites, alongside the Cubs, to get Imai, might not be as high on him as previously reported. As a matter of fact, Yankees manager Aaron Boone just said that his team had not met with Imai, who must be signed by a MLB team by January 2 or be returned to the NPB, and didn’t know if they would meet with him at all.

However, stories are just stories until proven otherwise. And, actually, there’s been a fairly noteworthy stream of recent reporting that suggests the Cubs aren’t as high on signing Imai as many might think.

Chicago Cubs not as gung-ho on Tatsuya Imai as reported?

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In a December 18 piece for The Athletic, insider Patrick Mooney revealed that, according to his sources within the Cubs organization, the Japanese starter is not actually viewed “as an absolutely must-have pitcher right now.”

Mooney also noted the following:

“…Evaluators have questions about whether Imai is more of a middle- or back-of-the-rotation starter than a budding ace, and how to value the Japanese pitcher’s first major-league contract in that context.”

That contract, by the way, would be an uncomfortably large one, possibly in the 6-year, $135 million range, per ESPN, plus the $22.125 million posting fee.

Doubts and questions

Former MLB exec Jim Bowden, in a piece also for The Athletic, talked about Imai’s lack of size (5-foot-10 or 5-foot-11, 140-154 lbs., depending on the sources) as a possible issue when it comes to his salability in the US free agent market:

“Imai is fascinating. His small frame may scare off some but given his dominance and durability in Japan, it shouldn’t be a concern for most teams.”

Although he’s right around the same height as Shota Imanaga, he’s about 30 lbs. lighter and there are some legit concerns regarding his durability over the long haul of a much more demanding major league schedule.

The Marquee Sports Network’s Lance Brozdowski added some potentially sobering insight to the Imai pursuit on the December 19 edition of the “Cubs 360” show.

“[Imai is] a guy that can impact this rotation and not necessarily a [No. 1 pitcher], but he’s got a low release,“ Brozdowski said. “He throws 95. A couple of variations of off-speed. His slider is really interesting. He’s a tough guy to project. There’s a lot of variants, but whoever signs him is going to have to get a bit uncomfortable on what they’re giving him from a monetary perspective and accepting some of the risk coming over from overseas.”

Elite in Japan, but…

Pitching for the Saitama Seibu Lions, Imai delivered a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 163.2 innings last season. Since 2022, the slender righty hasn’t posted an ERA greater than 2.70 and he’s generally considered an elite-level starter in Japan.

For the Cubs, who are looking for a power pitcher who misses bats, he could be the most logical choice from the current crop of free agents, at least on paper.

A lot seems open to opinion and debate when it comes to Imai. And, for the money and the contract involved, that certainly doesn’t make him the typical target of a frugal and conservative Cubs organization.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-tatsuya-imai-free-agent-pitcher