NL West Rival Linked to Tatsuya Imai, Pitcher Who Wants to Defeat Dodgers

Oct 23, 2025; Toronto, ON, Canada; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) speaks to the reporters during media day and team workouts at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be signing pitchers this winter, but they are not expected to target a starter; instead, their focus is on the bullpen.

The Dodgers were expected to pursue Japanese pitcher Tatsuyi Imai, the notable free agent who was posted after spending years overseas.

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Los Angeles is a legitimate hub for Japanese talent, already having a core consisting of Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, all of whom played crucial roles in winning the 2025 World Series.

Imai is expected to command a high price on the market, especially after the success of players like Sasaki and Yamamoto adapting to the States and their style of playing in MLB.

Due to his price and how strong the Dodgers' rotation is, the defending champions likely weren't going to target Imai, but in a recent interview, the pitcher made it clear that he does not want to join the National League powerhouse even if they were interested.

"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 told Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show, "Hodo Station."

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Imai has the talent to choose from a long list of suitors, but there is one name on his list that is a direct rival to Los Angeles, which adds an extra element to his first game against the Dodgers if he indeed signs with the San Francisco Giants.

However, the price for Imai may become a sticking point, per ESPN's Buster Olney.

"The Giants have been repeatedly linked to Tatsuyi Imai, the premier free agent pitcher from Japan. But a lot of their market pitching inquiries have been for more modestly priced arms -- a strong indication they aren't chasing the highest priced pitchers, like Imai," Olney wrote on X.

The Giants have been repeatedly linked to Tatsuyi Imai, the premier free agent pitcher from Japan. But a lot of their market pitching inquiries have been for more modestly priced arms -- a strong indication they aren't chasing the highest priced pitchers, like Imai.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 29, 2025

Last season in Japan, Imai pitched more than 163 innings and had a 1.92 ERA with 178 strikeouts. He has been a starter in Japan for years, and now, at 27, he gets to taste MLB baseball.

While scouts don't believe his talent is on the same level as Yamamoto, he should at least become a middle-of-the-rotation arm for a long time.

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.