"With just one major league offer on the table, Takahashi could be headed back to Nippon Professional Baseball, reports Mark Feinsand and Brian Murphy of MLB.com. Imai landed a contract on the final day of his posting window, so there's certainly still time for Takahashi to find a desirable deal. Feinsand and Murphy didn't provide additional details about the lone offer in front of Takahashi, but their report suggests it might not be enough to coax the righty stateside."
"The duo suggested that Takahashi could head back to the Lions on a new multi-year deal with opt-outs that would allow him to hit the open market following the 2026 season as an unrestricted free agent. Avoiding the posting system and the associated release fees could make Takahashi more appealing to MLB teams next offseason. The 28-year-old Takahashi bounced back to a degree in 2025 after a down year in 2024."
Tatsuya Imai signed a three-year deal with the Houston Astros. Kona Takahashi’s posting window closes Sunday with only one major league offer, making a return to Nippon Professional Baseball a strong possibility. A potential multi-year contract with the Seibu Lions could include opt-outs allowing unrestricted free agency after the 2026 season and would avoid posting fees. Takahashi posted a just-over-3.00 ERA across 24 starts in 2025, maintained a 6.7% walk rate, and recorded a career-low 14.3% strikeout rate. He had down 2024 performance with a 3.87 ERA and reduced innings, and produced sub-2.25 ERAs in 2022–23 with high innings totals.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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