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MLB Insider Confirms Whether The Cubs Are A Player For Tatsuya Imai

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI
By Maddy Dickens | Last updated Dec 4, 2025 3:56 PM ET

Free agency is well underway, and while there are many starting pitchers who are up for grabs, there are fewer that fit the profile the Chicago Cubs are looking for as they try to bolster their starting rotation. The organization has been extremely vocal about its desire to sign another arm.

The Cubs' starting rotation immediately took a hit last year when Justin Steele went down almost as quickly as the season started, as he was sidelined with Tommy John Surgery. While the team still had Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga, the pair lacked consistency, especially in the second half of the season.

Imanaga's season fell off during the summer and continued into the postseason, which was great for everyone but the Cubs. If not for future ace Cade Horton, who emerged as one of the best pitchers in the National League, the ball club could have missed the playoffs entirely.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

One of the pitchers that the Cubs were after was Dylan Cease, a near guaranteed strikeout every inning, but they fell short in the bidding war, as confirmed in a tweet by MLB insider Bruce Levine. But that's not all he revealed.

Cubs confirmed to be targeting Imai

Levine also noted that "the Cubs front office is serious about bringing in a power arm," and that they "will be a strong player on Japanese pitcher Tasuya Imai."

The bidding war for Imai is going to be difficult, perhaps even more so for the Cubs, as he has made it clear he doesn't want to play for a team that already has a Japanese player. That doesn't mean the Cubs have been eliminated, but it means it could be significantly harder to land him.

Cubs were one of seven teams bidding on Dylan Cease.The Cub front office is serious about bringing in a power arm.They will be a strong player on Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai.Imai must sign by Jan 2nd. Posting fee https://t.co/S0dN39MNkJ market open for Cubs as well.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) December 4, 2025

The Cubs have not made a starting rotation move yet aside from the reacquisition of Shota Imanaga, who accepted his qualifying offer for a one-year deal.

Who is Tatsuya Imai?

Tasuya has not yet made his way into Major League Baseball, but he has been playing professional baseball in Japan since he was just 19 years old. Now at 27, he is ready to transition to the majors after posting back-to-back seasons with an ERA under 2.34.

Imai's Averages over 2024 and 2025

2.13 ERA (1.92 last season)
183 Strikeouts
1.03 WHIP (0.89 last season)
9.8 Strikeouts per 9 Innings
7 Home Runs
61.2 Winning Percentage

If the Cubs are not able to lock down Imai then they need to look elsewhere. Michael King is another option the Cubs reportedly have confirmed interest in.

This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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