Tatsuya Imai reveals unusual reason for free agent preference that hurts Dodgers, Cubs, helps both Yankees, Giants

Billy Heyen

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Tatsuya Imai reveals unusual reason for free agent preference that hurts Dodgers, Cubs, helps both Yankees, Giants image

Tatsuya Imai has the potential to be the latest Japanese pitcher to become a star in Major League Baseball.

But he might not wind up with the teams many have linked him to, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.

Imai provided an interview in Japanese that suggests he might eliminate certain clubs from his decision-making process.

He has said that he'd rather play on a team that doesn't have a Japanese player already on it.

This is the original statement in Japanese:

This is how that comes out in Google Translate:

"(If there were a Japanese player) they'd be able to tell me anything I asked, right? But that's not what I'm looking forward to. I'd rather experience a sense of survival, or, when faced with cultural differences, how do I overcome them on my own? That's one of the things I enjoy."

Imai had a 1.92 ERA with the Seibu Lions in 2025. He has a fastball in the mid-90s, and since 2022, his ERA is 2.21.

The Dodgers have had a lot of success getting players from Japan. The Cubs currently have Seiya Suzuki.

Fans of the Giants and Yankees have both taken to social media pleased with this news, as they feel it increases their chances of landing a difference-making pitcher.

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Staff Writer