MLB rumors: Cubs among Tatsuya Imai finalists in free agency | Cubs 360 | Marquee Sports Network
There is decisions or there are decisions that have to be made by January 2nd. And I [music] bring that up because when you’re looking at Tatsia Imi, the pitcher who will likely come over from Japan. Okay, so this tweet around five MLB teams have shown real interest in the 27year-old. [music] The New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs are expected to be finalist second. >> The Chicago Cubs got it. Okay. >> So I mean here’s the thing. as this has been progressing, you see quotes from him and it’s very I love what I hear from him. So I love what I see pitching wise then he’s like I want to go up against the Dodgers. I don’t want to be on their team. I want to play against them. Like I’m a dog. No thanks. >> Yeah. And he just has this like moxy to him. So on the pitching side of things, I mean I also just look at his stuff and I think Lance that this is someone who I think >> you get him. >> Yeah. I I say go for it. I think that the pro I won’t even say it’s too much of a problem here, but there’s this old quote going around that I really like from Andrew Friedman, who’s the president of baseball ops with the Dodgers. And this is by Andy McColl is the big guy out there. If you’re always rational about every free agent, you will finish third on every free agent. Now, I I bring this up in context of the Cubs because the Cubs are very model driven team. So, they have internal projections on a guy like Amay, which maybe has more variance obviously because he’s coming over from overseas. But this is getting to the point that if you want any of these guys, you’re going to have to go into the land of a little bit uncomfortable. You’re going to have to be a little uncomfortable around the amount of years or the amount of dollars, the combination of the two that you’re giving a player like this. He has a posting fee attached to him. If the Cubs internal model says he’s worth five for $100 million plus the posting fee, let’s say 20 a year, I have to imagine the Yankees can just swing in there and go, “Cool, we’ll give you six for 120.” That’s the uncomfortability that I’m talking about. Are the Cubs willing to push a little bit above what their internals say on a guy like Amay to land what Elise is saying? A guy that can impact this rotation and be not necessarily a one, but he’s got a low release. He throws 95, couple variations of off speed. His slider is really interesting. He’s a tough guy to project. There’s a lot of variance, but whoever signs him is going to have to get a bit uncomfortable on what they’re giving him from a monetary perspective and accepting some of the risk coming over from overseas. I think the Cubs have shown the ability to go to uncomfortable ranges with international prospects because they’ve done it with Seiya and they’ve done it with Shota. You look at Tatsuya Ei that 192 RA with Sabu in 2025. It looks pretty good. The fast ball sits at 95, it tops at 99 and he throws those variation of slider splitter change up as well. I think if you look at the pitchers that the Cubs have been rumored to over this off seasonason, they were in on Dylan CE, they are in on Zack Allen. They are in on right-handed pitchers who throw hard, who miss a lot of bats. And Tatsuya Emi is that it’s a variation of Yoshino Yamamoto. Doesn’t throw us hard, will be less expensive than that. But if you’re looking at that guy right there, he’s number one for me. Love it. >> Yeah. I mean, I think that he becomes like the main target, right, as you see pitchers kind of come off the free agent list. Is he the next one? And will he be with the Cubs? >> I think from a free agent standpoint, yes. But it also lends to if you’re not going to get a free agent arm, can you trade for one? Can you trade for Edward Cabrera? Can you trade for Sandy Alcantra? Do you trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for Ryan Pepio, who is just gave up Shane Bos, who just gave up Brandon Laauo for six prospects. So, I think that the Cubs, if they aren’t going to go into that upper threshold of the free agent market when it comes to starting pitchers, they could trade for one
Marquee Sports Network’s Elise Menaker, Lance Brozdowski and Alex Cohen react to the Chicago Cubs reportedly being one of the finalists to sign Japanese free-agent pitcher Tatsuya Imai on “Cubs 360.”
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MLB rumors: Cubs among Tatsuya Imai finalists in free agency | Cubs 360 | Marquee Sports Network
9 comments
Lance is spot on here, but we all know Jed doesn't have it in him to get uncomfortable. I hate Jed Hoyer so much for the COWARDLY way he operates my beloved team.
Jed Hoyer is the worst
You think CHEAP Tommy will open up his wallet? I DO NOT think so.
cheap cheap cheap? Is Tom 's family made of chickens??? Chip Cheap
Exactly correct, Lance. Cub will come in second. We "tried". Then watch Yankees on tv playing in the world series
Finalists isn't good enough on this kid. 98mph SP with great off speed stuff. Yamamoto was worth the cost. Shota we could debate so, spend the extra $ it's your No.1 Free Agent Target.
3B Munetaka Murakami will sign today. Cubs should definitely also be in on the Huge LH Bat who can help our IF a ton. Once he goes, teams are gonna pick between Bregman the bigger $ option and Suarez the lesser $ option. If Cubs don't get Munetaka, they should then push the Bregman market up while locking Suarez down to give this lineup some proven power in the middle. Again, I really think bringing up atleast 3, Mo Ballestarios, Owen Cassie, Johnathan Long is important to this teams future. Those are the actual guys, we just need someone to help ease them in.
They won't do anything. All the Ricketts care about is lining their pockets with cash and the fans don't care. They are always finalists foe all major free agents just to give fans false hopes. Furthermore, how do we know this isn't just another Japanese pitchers who will give up multiple homeruns every game? Thet need a legit #1 starter. They have #2 and #3 starters.
The moment I first loved Imai was when he was in a pitchers' duel against Trevor Bauer and the Baystars and when Imai struck out Trevor on a weak swing, he did the sword celebration. It was epic!