Red Sox Get Update On Japanese Ace’s Free Agency Desires

The Boston Red Sox have already made one addition to their starting rotation by acquiring Sonny Gray. However, there are still plenty of star pitchers the Red Sox could look to add, including Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai. According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, the Red Sox could still add to the group even after adding Gray.

Imai recently told Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show, “Hodo Station,” that he would prefer to take down the join the Los Angeles Dodgers as opposed to joining them like other Japanese stars have in recent years. While that helped the Red Sox’s chances of signing him, he also noted that he would prefer to join a team with no Japanese players. The Red Sox have Masataka Yoshida on their roster.

“If there were another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them about anything, right?” Imai told Matsuzaka, according to The Athletic. “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.”

A new report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo revealed that Imai’s desire to join a team with no Japanese players is not a dealbreaker, once again giving the Red Sox a chance to sign him.

“That potential preference, though, should not be a dealbreaker,” wrote The Athletic on Thursday.

The Athletic also noted that Imai wants a long-term deal in free agency. The Red Sox recently signed Garrett Crochet to a long-term extension, so they could have both him and Imai for years to come if they can land the Japanese ace.

“As a free agent, Imai is expected to travel to certain cities and visit with a select group of teams willing to make the requisite long-term commitment,” The Athletic wrote. “That tour will likely begin after next week’s Winter Meetings in Orlando.”

Imai has been pitching in Nippon Professional Baseball’s Pacific League since 2018. He has a 3.15 ERA in 159 games. After being posted by the Saitama Seibu Lions, he is one of the best free agent pitchers on the market. He had a 1.92 ERA in 163 2/3 innings of work last season. He threw five complete games, three shutouts and notched 178 strikeouts.