Kona Takahashi could return to Japan as MLB signing deadline nears

Tatsuya Imai and Munetaka Murakami are headed to the majors — but one of the remaining Japanese players negotiating with MLB teams might not follow.

Right-handed pitcher Kona Takahashi, a longtime teammate of Imai with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Seibu Lions, is weighing a return to Japan for the 2026 season, according to MLB.com.

The soon-to-be 29-year-old’s posting window closes on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.

Takahashi reportedly has at least one offer from an unidentified major league club, but he could choose a multiyear contract to return to Seibu — one that would include an opt-out to explore MLB opportunities again in 2027, per the report.

Though he lacks Imai’s star billing, Takahashi has become one of NPB’s most reliable starters.

Last season, he went 8-9 with a 3.04 ERA in 24 outings, bouncing back from a difficult 2024 in which he posted an 0-11 record with a 3.87 ERA across 15 starts.

From 2022-23, he was among the league’s best pitchers, going a combined 22-16 with a 2.20 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 49 games.

Takahashi has shown top-tier command — walking just 6.7 percent of hitters last year and carrying a 3.3 walks per nine innings mark for his career — but he has never been a prolific strikeout arm, never exceeding 128 punchouts in a season.

In 2025, he struck out 88 hitters across 148 innings.

The market for Japanese players has not unfolded as expected this offseason; Murakami, a prolific slugger and Imai, arguably the NPB’s best arm, settled for short-term, opt-out heavy deals.

Imai agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $63 million with the Astros on New Year’s Day, holding an opt-out after each season.

Murakami, who owns the NPB single-season record for most homers hit by a Japanese-born player, inked a two-year, $34 million deal with the White Sox containing an opt-out after the first year.

Another player seeking to join the majors, Yomiuri Giants corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto, is also in talks with teams.

Okamoto, 29, has been one of NPB’s premier sluggers, swatting at least 27 homers from 2018 through 2024. Injuries limited him in 2025, but he still slashed a strong .327/.416/.598 with 15 homers in 69 games.

The Pirates, Cubs, Jays, Red Sox and Angels have all expressed interest in Okamoto, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported.

Okamoto and Takahashi share a Jan. 4 deadline to sign with a team.