Will the Dodgers' top pitcher, who made a bombshell remark, end up teaming up with Lee Jung-hoo
Nov 27, 2025
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Right-hander Imai joined hands with Boras Corporation to post in the Major League after the end of this season with the consent of the Seibu club. His record this season was 10-5 with 178 strikeouts and a 1.92 ERA in 163 ⅔ innings. Imai, posted on November 19 (hereinafter Korean time), can be negotiated until January 3 next year.
According to U.S. media reports, Imai will travel directly to the U.S. in early December to directly negotiate contracts with multiple clubs.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, where Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Rocky Sasaki play, were also considered potential candidates, and Imai was recently interviewed in a TV program 'Asked if he wants a team that can win the World Series like Jesus or a team that can beat the Dodgers, he said, `I want to knock (the Dodgers) down if possible," he replied.
Imai said "Of course, it would be fun to play with Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki, but I think beating such a team and becoming a world champion would be the most valuable thing in your life."
Local media believe Imai could sign a contract worth more than $100 million for more than five years.
The U.S. media sees the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees as the most likely candidates. Among them, San Francisco became the most likely.
His agent said in a recent interview that Boras `Imai shows interest in San Francisco" spilled the sauce.
In addition, according to the report 'ESPN', San Francisco was selected as the team most likely to be traded by Imai in a survey of Major League Baseball team executives. 'ESPN' most of the executives involved in the survey expect Imai to sign with San Francisco'
It is persuasive enough, especially considering that Western teams in the U.S. are most favored by players from Asia. A club official said, `San Francisco was hoping to recruit a Japanese pitcher. Logan Webb and Imai predicted that it would be most ideal to form a 'one-two punch'
If Imai signs with San Francisco, he will play with Korean big leaguer Lee Jung-hoo. Lee Jung-hoo is currently a key member of San Francisco. San Francisco, which failed to advance to the postseason again this year, is expected to enter the Imai recruitment race and seek to reinforce its starting lineup.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
