If you thought that every Japanese star seems destined to land in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tatsuya Imai is here to tell you otherwise and loudly. The right-hander, dubbed by some as the “second Yoshinobu Yamamoto,” went on Japanese TV earlier today and gave a message that probably has Yankee fans grinning ear to ear.

Not only did he prefer to join a team without other Japanese players, but he even took a direct shot at baseball’s biggest Japanese pipeline – the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I want to take them down,” Imai said. “Beating a team like that and becoming world champions would be the most valuable thing in my life.”

That’s not exactly subtle, is it?

With LA boasting Shohei Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki down the line, it is clear that Imai wants no part of joining the group. He simply wants to be able to beat them. And this is good news for the Yankees, who have struggled to land a Japanese talent.

If the Yanks get him, this removes the flying thoughts that the New York Yankees don’t take on Japanese talent or the fact that talent from there doesn’t want to end up in pinstripes.

Moreover, Imai seems to be wide open to going anywhere.

His agent, Scott Boras, mentioned that geography means nothing to him. This basically is a hint to the Yankees that their window of opportunity is wide open. And the Bronx should take this seriously, because Imai is not a consolation prize.

Imai was one of NPB’s best in 2025, posting a 1.92 ERA while striking out over 27% of hitters. Some see him as a mid-rotation stabilizer; others see him as the No. 2 starter on a World Series contender. His fastball sits at 95.5 mph.

The Yankees’ rotation is feeling banged up heading into 2026. They need reliability, and they need this upside – someone who isn’t dreaming of Chavez Ravine.

Tatsuya might just be the guy – and the first Japanese star in years who looks at the Dodgers not with hearts in his eyes but says, “Yeah… I’d rather beat them.”

Yankees brace for another Boras showdown

Imai is not the only Boras client that the New York Yankees have to sweat about because the Bronx office has a lot more on its plate.

First, Trent Grisham accepted the one-year qualifying offer, locking in over $22 million for 2026. Then the Mets stirred the pot by signaling interest in a free agent outfielder after trading Brandon Nimmo to Texas for Marcus Semien.

And then there is Cody Bellinger.

Bob Klapisch from NJ.com says that the New York Yankees love everything about Bellinger, but also hinted at some growing concern – Boras might pull off a Soto 2.0!

The New York Yankees traded for him in 2023, but Boras ramped up the bidding in free agency, and off went Soto to the Mets for a whopping $765 million.

Klapisch mentioned, “When you negotiate with Scott, you’re not the one in control. You’re just flying in his plane while he decides where he’s going to land.”

So, this is the level of uncertainty that the Yankees will yet again face this winter. The good news, though, is that the team can afford him.

Bellinger hit 29 home runs and posted 5.0 WAR, and that’s the highest since his 2019 MVP season with the Dodgers. He opted out of his option, and now Boras might want to push for six or seven years at $30 million annually.

Klapisch’s “crystal ball” suggests that the Yankees won’t go that high, and maybe they will rely on Jasson Dominguez in left and Spencer Jones in center.

What do you think?