The free agency sweepstakes for international ace Tatsuya Imai is one of the more intriguing storylines of the winter. The New York Yankees have received a lot of buzz as a suitor for the Japanese star, but there are likely to be more teams in the sweepstakes.
Any contending team could make a run at Imai, but he’s already been vocal about his desire to play against and defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently predicted Imai would sign a huge seven-year, $154 million contract with the Detroit Tigers despite all the buzz connecting him to the Yankees.
“The Tigers might lose Skubal (see below) and are waiting on the return of Jackson Jobe from Tommy John surgery, but they get a top-shelf arm to help them make another run at a World Series,” Bowden wrote.
The Tigers could look to add an additional pitcher to their starting rotation. There’s a chance they look to add two pitchers to their roster if they trade Tarik Skubal. With Skubal potentially on the move, a massive deal to acquire Imai would make a lot of sense.
Detroit should have the money to make a move like this. If it’s not going to extend Skubal, it will definitely have the money.
But outbidding big-market teams like the Yankees, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants could be tougher than many think. The Tigers will need to give up a lot of money to bring Imai to the Motor City.
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