Japanese ace Imai wants to take down' Dodgers. Could he do it with SF Giants?

"Tatsuya Imai has no intention of joining them in Los Angeles. He doesn't want to join the Dodgers' dynasty. He wants to destroy it. 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, Imai told former major-leaguer Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show Hodo Station. If anything, I'd rather take them down."

"If anything, I'd rather take them down. That competitive fire should resonate with a certain president of baseball operations. Back in October, Buster Posey has expressed his disdain of opposing players exchanging pleasantries before games. As a fan, he desires friction. And if Imai signs with the Giants to play opposite of Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki on the Dodgers? That's a recipe for friction."

"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, Imai continued. 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."

The Los Angeles Dodgers have assembled three high-profile Japanese talents: Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. Tatsuya Imai refuses to join that group and says he would rather sign elsewhere to beat and dismantle their dynasty. He says playing alongside them would be enjoyable but defeating such a team and winning a championship would be most valuable. Imai wants to confront cultural differences and solve them independently. He was posted by the Seibu Lions on Nov. 10, with a negotiating window until Jan. 2, and is expected to command a long-term, nine-figure MLB contract. After early struggles, he posted a 2.21 ERA from 2022–25 with 556 strikeouts.

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