RHP Kona Takahashi may go back to Japan for '26

Japanese right-handed pitchers Kona Takahashi and Tatsuya Imai were teammates on the Saitama Seibu Lions from 2018-25, and both were posted for MLB free agency this winter.

While Imai has found a big league home in Houston, Takahashi might end up returning to Nippon Professional Baseball for the upcoming season.

Takahashi’s negotiating window closes on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET, and according to a source, he has at least one Major League offer on the table. However, that may not be enough to get the 28-year-old to the bigs this offseason. Instead, he could return to Japan on a new multi-year deal with Seibu, one with opt-out clauses that would allow him to return to the open market next year as an unrestricted free agent rather than part of the posting system.

Barring a late offer by a bigger MLB club, that could be the most realistic scenario for Takahashi, who would have significantly more value a year from now if he has a strong season in 2026.

Takahashi, who turns 29 on Feb. 3, was outstanding for the Lions from 2022-23 as he posted a 2.20 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP across 330 2/3 combined innings. He took a step back the following year (0-11 record, 3.87 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) while throwing just 81 1/3 frames. He turned in a 3.04 ERA over 148 innings in 2025.

Takahashi relies on his pinpoint command since he doesn’t miss many bats. While his walk rate this past season was a stellar 6.7%, he struck out only 88 batters, giving him a 14.3% strikeout rate. He has never recorded a strikeout rate better than 20% in any of his 11 NPB seasons, and the MLB-average K rate last year was 22.2%.