This year will be different, however, as this year’s most highly prized international free agent, top Japanese prospect Tatsuya Imai, has spoken out about his desire to take down the Dodgers.
“Of course I would love to play alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki,” Imai told former MLB starter Daisuke Matsuzaka on “Hodo Station””but winning against such a team and becoming world champions would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I would rather eliminate them.”
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He further elaborated on his preferences for a team, stating that he would not want to join a team with a Japanese player on it.
“If there was another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask him anything, right?” Imai said. “But that’s not really what I’m looking for. In a way, I want to experience that sense of survival. When I come face to face with cultural differences, I want to see how I can overcome them on my own — that’s part of what I’m excited about.”
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One team in Imai’s eligibility is the San Francisco Giants, who have been repeatedly linked to the right-hander. That said, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that they haven’t checked with more expensive weapons this offseason, which could indicate they have no intention of bringing in a pitcher like Imai.
Imai has spent all nine of his professional seasons with the Saitama Seibu Lions and has taken over the league in recent years. In 2025, he posted a 1.92 ERA through 24 stars, striking out 178 batters in 163.2 innings pitched.
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Photo credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
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