Japanese ace’s mentality would be a perfect fit for Milwaukee, his salary would not

The Los Angeles Dodgers have stuffed everybody at the championship rim over the past two years, but they've been a thorn in the Milwaukee Brewers' side ever since 2018.

That year, the Dodgers toppled the Crew in a thrilling (but heartbreaking) seven-game set, though they went on to lose the World Series to the Boston Red Sox.

Ever since, baseball's modern dynasty has added three rings to its collection, while the Brewers have continued to fall short of the Fall Classic, including a humiliating sweep at the hands of the Dodgers once again in the NLCS this past season.

It's been frustrating to watch the baseball equivalent of baseball's Avengers continue to add elite talent to their coffers like Infinity Stones, but it once again feels inevitable that the Dodgers will sign one of the premier Japanese free agents this year.

Don't count Tatsuya Imai among that crop, though.

Tatsuya Imai spurns Dodgers, declares desire to beat them in free agency

Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki. Those three represent the Dodgers' current triumvirate of Japanese stars that contributed heavily to their 2025 championship, and that trio could soon become a quartet if Munetaka Murakami or Kazuma Okamoto join their ranks.

Tatsuya Imai, on the other hand, has no interest in wanting to join the Dodgers — he wants to beat them. The Brewers, who are one of just two teams that can match Los Angeles' claim to four division titles in the past five seasons (the Houston Astros being the other), could offer Imai as good a chance as any to topple the dynasty.

Likewise, Imai's peculiar desire to play without any other Japanese players (he's clearly a contrarian by nature) fits the Brewers quite well, as the Crew haven't employed a Japanese native since Nori Aoki.

As far as talent goes, Imai would immediately become one of the best starters on a deep Brewers pitching staff. He's run an ERA below 3.00 in each of the past four seasons in the NPB, peaking in 2025 with a robust pitching line: 163 2/3 innings, 1.92 ERA, 2.01 FIP, 27.8% strikeout rate.

Whether as Freddy Peralta's right-hand man or his replacement in the wake of a trade, Imai could become the next in a long line of right-handed Brewers aces.

Unfortunately, this is where reality hits. Imai has been projected to earn a contract in the neighborhood of $150 million this offseason, which simply doesn't jibe with the Brewers' budget, especially after Brandon Woodruff accepted his $22.05 million qualifying offer.

With a huge posting fee attached to whatever salary he agrees to, Imai simply might be out of Milwaukee's price range. Disappointing though that may be, if he stays true to his word and signs with a team designed to beat the Dodgers, odds are Brewers fans will be rooting for him anyways.