Top Japanese free agent wants to 'take down' the Dodgers rather than sign for L.A.

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Top Japanese free agent wants to 'take down' the Dodgers rather than sign for L.A.

The Los Angeles Dodgers seem to get any free agent they want.

But there's one new free agent, a Japanese superstar, who doesn't want to come to Hollywood.

He would rather beat them.

That's what Tatsuya Imai said in a recent appearance on a show in Japan with former pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.

"Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki," Imai said, via MLB.com , "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 won the Sawamura Award in Japan for his 2025 season. That's the equivalent of the Cy Young.

He had a 1.92 ERA in 163.2 innings with 17