"Japanese righty Tatsuya Imai was officially posted on November 19 and is one of the top free agents on the market, ranking right up there with Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez when it comes to coveted pitchers. He won't turn 28 until May and boasts a mid-90s fastball that can touch triple digits, plus he's got a wrong-way slider that helped him generate a 27.8% strikeout rate in NPB this past season. He could earn a contract of $150 million or more, so most predictions have him landing in a major market."
"However, Imai's comments during a recent television interview seem to indicate that he's looking for something a little different. As in, a place that doesn't already have Japanese players. That used to be a more commonly-held sentiment among players coming over from NPB, a function of the culture's prioritization of respect and personal space. The advent of international professional play and the continued success of Japanese players in MLB has softened that stance a great deal, perhaps even reversing it."
Tatsuya Imai was posted November 19 and ranks among top free-agent pitchers alongside Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez. He is 27, turning 28 in May, with a mid-90s fastball that can touch 100+ mph and a wrong-way slider, producing a 27.8% strikeout rate in NPB. Projections estimate a contract of $150 million or more, with expectations he would join a major-market team. Imai prefers teams without fellow Japanese players to embrace cultural challenges and a 'survival vibe.' Similar attitudes appeared around Rōki Sasaki before his Dodgers signing, and a mid-market soft landing remains a possible fit.
Read at Cubsinsider
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