What Is Tatsuya Imai's Outlook on Free Agency? Latest MLB Rumors on Japanese Star

Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai "is keeping an open mind about his future" with less than a month until he has to make a final decision about his MLB future, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney.

"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," Rosenthal and Mooney reported Wednesday. "That tour will likely begin after next week's Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla."

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday that some executives around MLB thought Imai might make up his mind before the end of the winter meetings, which will conclude Dec. 10. It looks like the process will instead extend beyond that.

At least one prospective suitor is already out of the running.

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported the San Francisco Giants "do not anticipate making the nine-figure investment required to sign Imai — or any of the other top pitchers on the free-agent market."

Imai also basically ruled out a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers despite the World Series champions boasting a Japanese contingent of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.

"Of course, I'd enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki," the right-hander said to former MLB star Daisuke Matsuzaka, as translated by MLB.com's Michael Clair and Ayako Oikawa. "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 also downplayed the importance for a team to already have a Japanese player on the roster.

"In a way, I want to experience that sense of survival," he said. "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."

Rosenthal and Mooney followed up to report that stance "should not be a dealbreaker," however. They suggested the Chicago Cubs, who have Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga, could be in the hunt.

The MLB insiders added that "Imai's curiosity and confidence suggest that he would not be afraid to perform in a large East Coast market." To that end, any one of the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees or Philadelphia Phillies is a realistic landing spot.

Especially with Dylan Cease already off the board, Imai could have even more leverage on the teams that are in need of starting pitching. Once he starts to seriously entertain offers, it could be a competitive bidding process.