Imai was signed on the last day of his post-season, so there is certainly still time for Takahashi to find a desirable deal. Feinsand and Murphy did not provide additional details about the single offer to Takahashi, but their report suggests it may not be enough to convince the just state. The duo suggested that Takahashi could return to the Lions on a new multi-year deal with opt-outs that would allow him to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 season. Avoiding the post system and its associated release costs could make Takahashi more attractive to MLB teams next season.
The 28-year-old Takahashi returned to a level in 2025 after a down year in 2024. He posted an ERA of just over 3.00 over 24 starts with the Lions. He continued to show impeccable control (6.7% walk rate), although his strikeout rate dropped to a career-low 14.3%. Takahashi had made just 15 starts last season. He posted a 3.87 ERA in 2024 and failed to reach 120 innings for the first time since 2018.
Takahashi had a stellar two-year run from 2022 to 2023. He put together consecutive seasons with a sub-2.25 ERA while increasing his strikeout rate by almost 20%. Takahashi pitched a career-high 175 2/3 innings in 2022, returning the following year with a 155-inning campaign. Outside of 2024, he has generally been a durable member of the Lions’ rotation.
James Fegan and Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs called Takahashi a backend starter, with praise for his pitching ability but questions about his underwhelming fastball. Fegan and Longenhagen leveled Takahashi Foster Griffin And Antonius Kaij as possible options to fill an MLB rotation. Griffin got a one-year deal with the Nationals, while Kay got a two-year deal from the White Sox.
Photo courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images
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