As the Los Angeles Dodgers showed this October, the current crop of Japanese stars in MLB has never been stronger.
While there are plenty of Japanese players scattered throughout the majors these days, there may be no more attractive destination for those crossing the Pacific Ocean than the Dodgers. The multiple World Series champions have both money to spend and a deep group of stars led by Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Rocky Sasaki.
Sounds like a good option for people like Tatsuya Imai, Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto who will be international free agents this winter, right?
For Imai, a right-handed starter, that may not be entirely true.
Speaking recently with former World Series champion Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show “Hodo Station”, Imai said he would rather beat his compatriots than join them.
“Of course, I would love to play together with Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki,” Imai said. “But to beat a team like this and become world champion would be the most rewarding thing in my life.
“If anything, I would prefer to destroy them.”
Imai, 27, will be one of the most sought-after pitchers on the free agent market this offseason after posting a 1.92 ERA in 163.2 innings for the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball.
Standing just 5-foot-11, Imai has emerged as one of Japan's top starters this season, possessing an arsenal highlighted by a fastball and a reverse-break slider. That helped him total 178 strikeouts in 2025, eclipsing his 45 walks.
“If there was another Japanese player on the same team, I could ask them anything, right?” he said about his potential landing spot. “But that's not really what I'm looking for. In a way, I want to experience the feeling 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 excites me.”
Imai was officially released by the Lions on November 18, meaning he must reach an agreement with the MLB club by January 2.
The Lions will receive a fee from whichever MLB club signs Imai through the announcement system. They will receive 20 percent of the first $25 million of his contract, 17.5 percent of the next $25 million and 15 percent of any amount over $50 million.
