Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai snubs Dodgers as high-stakes MLB free agency window opens

The Los Angeles Dodgers' large bets connected Japanese pitchers paid disconnected earlier this month.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto received the World Series MVP honors, Roki Sasaki recorded captious outs, and Shohei Ohtani started successful Game 7. Now, Tatsuya Imai is the latest Japanese ace and escaped cause who has his sights acceptable connected Major League Baseball. But the right-hander hopes his way to the majors does not walk done Los Angeles.

Imai is successful the midst of a 45-day posting window, which affords him the accidental to hold to a declaration with immoderate large league squad of his choosing.

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Tatsuya Imai of Saitama Seibu Lions throws against Orix Buffaloes astatine Belluna Dome connected April 25, 2025, successful Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.  (Sports Nippon/Getty Images)

"I alternatively instrumentality them down," Imai told Japan’s TV Asahi programme "Hodo Station," per MLB.com, with a hint of laughter.

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"Of course, I’d bask playing alongside [Shohei] Ohtani, [Yoshinobu] Yamamoto and [Roki] Sasaki," Imai added, "but winning against a squad similar that and becoming a World Champion would beryllium the astir invaluable happening successful my life."

Imai astir precocious pitched for Nippon Professional Baseball's Seibu Lions. The 27-year-old became disposable to MLB teams connected Nov. 19. He did acquisition immoderate ups and downs successful his archetypal fewer NPB seasons, but yet settled successful and became 1 of the league's much reliable starting pitchers.

Tatsuya Imai (48) of Samurai Japan reacts aft pitching successful the apical of the seventh inning during the crippled betwixt Samurai Japan and Netherlands astatine Kyocera Dome Osaka connected March 5, 2025, successful Osaka, Japan. (Gene Wang/Getty Images)

Last season, Imai pitched successful a combined no-hitter and was named to his 3rd vocation All-Star team. He has a 3.15 vocation ERA implicit 159 games with the Lions.

Imai besides noted that helium hopes to motion with a squad whose roster does not presently diagnostic immoderate Japanese players.

Pitcher Tatsuya Imai (48) of Japan throws successful the 1st inning during the Asia Professional Baseball Championship Final betwixt South Korea and Japan astatine Tokyo Dome connected Nov. 19, 2023, successful Tokyo, Japan. (Gene Wang/Getty Images)

"They’d conscionable archer you thing if you asked, right?" Imai said successful notation to the thought of teaming up with a chap Japanese subordinate successful the U.S. "I don’t truly privation that; successful a way, I privation to acquisition that endurance vibe, and facing taste differences and figuring them retired connected my ain is portion of the fun."

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The Dodgers person efficaciously cornered the marketplace connected the astir premier planetary players successful caller years, but Imai's latest comments propulsion acold h2o connected the thought of Los Angeles adding a 4th Japanese autochthonal pitcher to its rotation successful 2026.

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