After a rocky 2025 season, the Baltimore Orioles will look to bounce back in 2026. However, they have a few holes they need to fill if they want to keep up with some of the other talented teams in the AL East.
One area the club could improve is with its starting rotation. They have a young and inexperienced mix of arms, and Grayson Rodriguez's health is in question for the upcoming season.
Lucky for them, there are tons of great frontline starters and some players who deserve to be gambled on. They could take a look at what it would take to bring somebody like Dylan Cease over to Baltimore, or they could look overseas in their effort to load up their starting rotation.
Former MLB GM links Orioles to three-time NPB All-Star pitcher
Looking overseas, there is one pitcher who stands out above everyone else, and that is Tatsuya Imai. He is expected to be posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions after the season concludes, and controls the tempo with his secondary pitches, according to former MLB GM Jim Bowden.
"He sits in the mid-90s with his fastball but can reach the high-90s when he needs it. His best secondary pitch is a wipeout slider and he mixes in a changeup, splitter, curveball, and sinker."
Despite his smaller stature, Imai possesses the tools to get opposing batters frustrated. While he is not typically a flamethrower, he can get his fastball in the upper 90s while keeping batters on their toes with offspeed pitches.
Bowden believes he would be a good fit for the Orioles, but it will cost the team. He projects the Japanese pitcher to receive a seven-year, $154 million contract.
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