Free agency is well underway for MLB, and the Toronto Blue Jays continue to search for options to bolster their team and hope to return to the World Series in 2026. With starting pitching being a need for the Blue Jays as their fifth spot remains open, it could be filled by an incoming Japanese sensation.

Tatsuya Imai was posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions of the Nippon Professional Baseball league back on November 10, with the negotiation window expiring on January 2. In an instant, the Los Angeles Dodgers were an assumed destination to join the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
However, in a recent interview. Imai dropped an interesting quote that should pique the Blue Jays’ interest.

Imai wants to take down the Dodgers and be the only Japanese player on a team

In an interview with Daisuke Matsuzaka on “Hodo Station,” Imai stated he’d rather beat the Dodgers for a World Series than join them.

“Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki, but winning against a team like that and becoming a World Champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I’d rather take them down.”

Imai also stated he’d rather be the only Japanese player on the team, wanting the challenge of trying to get over cultural differences and embrace the team he’s on.

“If there were another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them about anything, right? But that’s actually not what I’m looking for. In a way, I want to experience that sense 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 I’m excited about.”

For starters, which team in the MLB wouldn’t want to take down the Dodgers? The Blue Jays would love another shot at not only the World Series but the Dodgers a well, after falling two outs short of a third franchise title. However, Imai wanting to be the only Japanese player on a team could be the break the Blue Jays are looking for to land a big international fish.

Toronto doesn’t have a strong history of Japanese players on its team, with Yusei Kikuchi being the latest to don the blue and white, last playing for them in 2024. The Blue Jays’ current Japanese presence is in the front office, with Gosuke Katoh. If Imai was being literal about a teammate rather than anyone, it shouldn’t be an issue and could even have Katoh help bridge the gap, should there be one.

Imai had an incredible 2025 with the Lions, posting a 1.92 ERA in 163.2 innings with 178 strikeouts en route to winning the Sawamura Award, which is the equivalent of MLB’s Cy Young Award. He would be the fifth starter the Blue Jays need for their starting rotation in 2026.

Although the likes of Bo Bichette remain a priority for Toronto, if players like Imai want to help take down a juggernaut and solidify the starting rotation, the Blue Jays can’t look past him.