The Philadelphia Phillies have been trying to break into the international market, specifically from Japan, in recent seasons.
After missing out on Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Phillies now turn their attention this winter to Munetaka Murakami and Tatsuya Imai. While Murakami isn't coming to Philadelphia if Schwarber re-signs, Imai is a different story.
Fortunately for the Phillies, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Imai has expressed interest in playing on the East Coast, and specifically, isn't opposed to big-market teams in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.
Tatsuya Imai's free agent interest is good news for Phillies
"Imai's curiosity and confidence suggest that he would not be afraid to perform in a large East Coast market." Rosenthal writes. "While Matsuzaka mentioned the Red Sox as a possibility, Imai also would not be intimidated by the idea of pitching for a New York team or the Philadelphia Phillies."
While Imai is drawing interest from plenty of teams around baseball, the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Phillies are all potential landing spots for the 27-year-old ace out of Japan.
Last season with the Seibu Lions in Japan, Imai was dominant in his 24 starts. He had a 1.92 ERA with a 10-5 record, striking out 178 batters in 163.2 innings pitched in his best season as a professional.
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He's one of the top pitchers on the market alongside Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez. The Phillies' interest in bringing Suarez back means that they are open to spending big money on a pitcher this winter.
Even with a strong rotation already, adding Imai would take the Phillies from one of the best in baseball to arguably the best in baseball when at full strength.
The Phillies should be one of the top spending teams this winter, and Imai would be a great signing if they could pull it off.
His interest in pitching on the East Coast and willingness to play in a big market like Philadelphia is good news towards signing the right-handed ace out of Japan.
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