Tatsuya Imai and Munetaka Murakami are set to join the majors, but there’s some uncertainty surrounding another Japanese player currently discussing options with an MLB team. Right-handed pitcher Yukina Takahashi, who played alongside Imai for the Nippon Professional Baseball team Seibu Lions, might be considering a return to Japan for the 2026 season.
The 29-year-old’s posting period concludes this Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.
Takahashi has reportedly received at least one offer from a major league team, but there’s a chance he could prefer a multi-year deal to return to Seibu. This contract would reportedly allow him to pursue MLB opportunities again in 2027.
While he may not possess the same star power as Imai, Takahashi has developed into one of the more dependable starting pitchers in NPB.
Last season, he recorded an 8-9 record with a 3.04 ERA over 24 games. He rebounded from a tough 2024, where he started 15 games and unfortunately ended with an 0-11 record alongside a 3.87 ERA.
Between 2022 and 2023, he made a name for himself, finishing with 22 wins and 16 losses, a 2.20 ERA, and a 1.13 WHIP in 49 appearances.
Takahashi has shown impressive command, yielding only 6.7 percent of batters walking last year and maintaining a career average of 3.3 walks per nine innings. However, he hasn’t been a prominent strikeout pitcher and has never reached more than 128 strikeouts in a season.
In the meantime, Murakami, another Japanese player, recently signed a two-year deal with the White Sox, as did Imai, who agreed to a three-year contract worth up to $63 million with the Astros, which includes opt-out clauses.
Murakami holds the NPB record for the highest number of home runs in a single season by a Japanese player and secured a two-year, $34 million contract with an opt-out after the first year.
Additionally, Kazuma Okamoto from the Yomiuri Giants is also vying for a chance in the majors, negotiating with various teams. Okamoto, who is considered one of the top sluggers in NPB, hit at least 27 home runs from 2018 to 2024. Despite limited play in 2025 due to injury, he managed to hit 15 home runs with a .327/.416/.598 batting line over 69 games.
Reports indicate that teams like the Pirates, Cubs, Jays, Red Sox, and Angels have shown interest in Okamoto, whose contract situation will also be resolved by January 4th.
