A top Japanese pitcher who is expected to be posted for MLB teams this offseason sounds uninterested in playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tatsuya Imai, a three-time NPB All-Star, discussed the possibility of joining his fellow countrymen on the Dodgers. While he acknowledged that playing with the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto would be fun, he would find it more satisfying to beat them.
“I want to take them down,” Imai said. “I think beating a team like that and becoming world champions would be the most valuable thing in my life.”
Imai Tatsuya would rather beat a team like the Dodgers than play with them pic.twitter.com/5GlkjQ0Sqo
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) November 24, 2025
This sort of quote will be refreshing to many fans, especially those who were put off by the attitude some other players have toward the Dodgers. The franchise has generally been able to attract all the top talent on the market in recent years, including the signing of Roki Sasaki last winter. There were rumors that Sasaki actually had reasons not to sign with the Dodgers, but that wound up being inaccurate.
Imai, 27, has a 3.15 career ERA in eight NPB seasons, all with the Saitama Seibu Lions. He was particularly dominant in 2025, posting a 1.92 ERA in 24 games. Even if he does not wind up on the Dodgers, he might land with another major MLB franchise instead.