The Los Angeles Dodgers already have a target on their back as back-to-back World Series champions. While the organization is greatly respected around the league, there are some who prefer to take the Commissioner’s Trophy from LA rather than join their ranks.
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One of those players is top Japanese free agent Tatsuya Imai, who was posted by his Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Seibu Lions.
“Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki,” Imai said, “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.”
The Japanese ace is expected to command a considerable contract this winter, and one team that has been linked to Imai is the Philadelphia Phillies.
The National League powerhouse fell short in October, being eliminated by the Dodgers in the NL Division Series in four games.
The Phillies are in for an interesting offseason, to say the least, and the club has been mentioned as a potential suitor for Imai by MLB insider Jon Heyman.
“I do think Imai is a potential for them,” Heyman said on B/R Walkoff.
The Phillies were poised to be the Dodgers’ greatest opponent ahead of the World Series, but LA took a commanding 2-0 lead on the road. Now, Philadelphia will take the winter to regroup and prepare to face the Dodgers at some point in the playoffs.
As for the defending champions, they have been relatively quiet early in the offseason but the Dodgers are expected to make some moves.
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Photo Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
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