Tatsuya Imai and Munetaka Murakami are already on their way to MLB, but not all Japanese talent seems to be following the same path. Right-handed pitcher Kona Takahashi, a teammate of Imai with the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball, is reportedly considering returning to Japan for the 2026 season, according to MLB.com.
He has offers, but is considering staying at Seibu
The 29-year-old’s negotiating window closes this Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. While Takahashi reportedly has at least one offer from an as-yet-unidentified major league team, the pitcher is seriously considering accepting a multi-year deal with the Seibu Lions, which would include an opt-out clause to try again to go to MLB in 2027.
In 2025, Takahashi posted an 8-9 record with a 3.04 ERA in 24 starts, showing recovery after a tough 2024 in which he finished with a 0-11 record and 3.87 ERA.
Solid performance, but not a dominant puncher
Between 2022 and 2023, Takahashi was among the best arms in the league, posting a combined 22-16 record with a 2.20 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 49 appearances. His main strength has been control: in 2025 he walked just 6.7% of batters and maintains an average of 3.3 walks per nine innings over his career.
However, he has never been a high-strikeout pitcher and has never surpassed 128 strikeouts in a season. Last year, he struck out 88 batters in 148 innings.
A Japanese market that did not take off as expected
The expectation of the Japanese market in this winter break was high, but many deals ended up being shorter than expected and with strong exit clauses.
Imai signed with the Astros for three years and up to $63 million, with an annual opt-out option. Murakami agreed with the White Sox on a two-year, $34 million contract, also with an opt-out clause after the first year.
Another key name: Kazuma Okamoto
In addition to Takahashi, another player who is still negotiating is Yomiuri Giants slugger Kazuma Okamoto, 29, one of the most feared bats in the NPB. He has hit at least 27 home runs between 2018 and 2024 and, despite injuries in 2025, posted a .327/.416/.598 line with 15 home runs in 69 games.
Teams such as the Pirates, Cubs, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Angels would be interested, according to Jon Heyman.
Both Okamoto and Takahashi share the same deadline: January 4 to decide whether to land in MLB… or whether to postpone the dream.
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