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Japanese star Tatsuya Imai makes strong statement against signing with Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Star Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai would perfectly fit in with the Giants.

The right-handed ace of the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball, who recently was posted and has until Jan. 2 to sign with an MLB team, declared that he has no interest in joining San Francisco’s archrival Los Angeles Dodgers, in a recent interview with former big-league pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka on the “Hodo Station” show.

“Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside [Shohei] Ohtani, [Yoshinobu] Yamamoto, and [Rōki] Sasaki, but winning against a team like that and becoming a world champion would be the most valuable thing in my life,” Imai told Matsuzaka (h/t MLB.com’s Michael Clair and Ayako Oikawa). 

“If anything, I’d rather take them down.”

That mentality must intrigue Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey.

Imai, 27, is coming off a dominant season in which he posted a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts over 163 2/3 innings. He would be an enticing addition to any team, but it would be fascinating to see Imai enter the big leagues with San Francisco.

Regardless of where Imai lands, one thing is certain: he doesn’t want to help the Dodgers — and their international stars — win a third consecutive World Series title.

“If there were another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them about anything, right?” Imai said. “But that’s actually not what I’m looking for. In a way, I want to experience that sense of survival. When I come face-to-face with cultural differences, I want to see how I can overcome them on my own — that’s part of what I’m excited about.”

If Imai wants to take down the league’s best, then joining the Dodgers’ biggest rival — the Giants — makes sense. 

He would get to face Los Angeles multiple times per season in heated divisional battles and would have the opportunity to test out his heater against the reigning NL MVP.

“I really want to see how much my fastball holds up against [Ohtani] — to test myself by throwing it to him,” Imai said.

Imai has around 40 days to make a decision. Time will tell if he chooses to don the Orange and Black.

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Fans of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs might want to hold their ears when the wrongful death trial brought by his widow and parents against the Angels resumes Monday.

The Angels are about to present their defense and, according to people with knowledge of the Angels' strategy, their attorneys plan to portray Skaggs as a selfish, secretive opioid addict who for years manipulated teammates and team communications director Eric Kay into obtaining illicit pills for him to chop up and snort.

Skaggs, a first-round draft pick of the Angels in 2009 out of Santa Monica High, was one year away from free agency when he died of an overdose July 1, 2019. He died after snorting a counterfeit opioid pill laced with fentanyl in his hotel room during an Angels trip to play the Texas Rangers in Arlington.

The left-handed starter was 27 and in the midst of his best season of seven in the big leagues when he died. His performance has been pointed to by Skaggs family lawyers as evidence he wasn't a drug addict, but instead an athlete who took pain pills to stay on the field.

So far, testimony in a small, spare courtroom on the ninth floor of the Orange County Superior Court has favored the plaintiffs — Skaggs' widow, Carli, and parents, Debbie Hetman and Darrell Skaggs.

Their lawyers called 21 witnesses over 24 days in court, attempting to establish that the pitcher's fatal overdose was the result of the Angels' negligent supervision of Kay, an admitted longtime opioid addict who is serving 22 years in prison for providing Skaggs with the pill.

The plaintiffs are asking for about $120 million in future earnings as well as additional millions for pain and suffering and punitive damages. Neither side is optimistic that a settlement can be reached ahead of a verdict.

Read more:Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs dead at 27

Transcripts of trial testimony and interviews with people on both sides not authorized to speak publicly about the case provided a glimpse of the Angels' defense strategy and what the plaintiffs have accomplished so far.

The Angels pared down their witness list at the request of Judge H. Shaina Colover, who has insisted the case go to the jury by Dec. 15. The Angels complained that two weeks might not be long enough to present their case, giving the plaintiffs an unfair advantage, even suggesting the issue could lead to a mistrial.

Skaggs' lawyers, however, pointed out that the defense has taken longer to cross-examine witnesses than it took them to conduct the direct examinations. And Colover said a reason for the difference in the number of witnesses is that 12 people called by Skaggs' lawyers were on the witness lists of both sides.

Like an MLB manager constructing a lineup, Skaggs lawyers led by Rusty Hardin were purposeful in the order they presented witnesses. They began their case by calling a string of Angels executives to poke holes in the team's contention that they knew nothing about Kay's addiction. Key witnesses refuting those denials included Kay's wife, Camela, and Hetman.

Skaggs' lawyers also presented text messages that indicated Kay's supervisor, Tim Mead, and Angels traveling secretary Tom Taylor not only were aware of Kay's addiction, but did not act decisively to isolate him, get him into inpatient rehab or terminate his employment.

The plaintiffs called witnesses to establish that not only were the Angels negligent on how they dealt with Kay's addiction, they put his interest ahead of other employees and the organization by allowing him to continue working despite his bizarre behavior on the job.

Read more:Eric Kay's ex-wife says she told Angels co-workers he had a drug problem, contradicting their testimony

The last witness before the court went into recess until Dec. 1 was human resources expert Ramona Powell, who testified that the Angels did not follow their own policies in evaluating and responding to Kay's behavior. She said that had the team done so, Kay could have been terminated well before 2019.

Expect Angels lead attorney Todd Theodora to counter that Skaggs violated his contract and was guilty of fraud by concealing his drug problem for years. Furthermore, Skaggs allegedly continued to pressure Kay to procure opioids for him even after Kay completed drug rehab shortly before the fateful trip to Texas.

During opening statements, Theodora said that the Angels "know right from wrong," but he is expected to assert that the case is more about what the team didn't know. Kay and Skaggs have been described as masters at concealing their drug use. The Angels contend that had the team known of their addiction, officials could have provided them with treatment and perhaps Skaggs would be alive.

Testimony has already established that the Angels immediately informed MLB that Kay told co-worker Adam Chodzko that he was in Skaggs' hotel room the night the pitcher died. Expect the Angels attorneys to take it a step further and assert that Kay might not have been prosecuted if the Angels hadn't acted so swiftly.

Witnesses expected to be called by the defense include Angels president John Carpino and former MLB general manager Dan Duquette. The jury will view video of depositions given by former Angels players C.J. Cron, Matt Harvey, Cam Bedrosian and Blake Parker if they cannot testify in person.

The testimony of players can cut both ways, as evidenced by statements made by two players who testified for the plaintiffs — current Angels outfielder and three-time most valuable player Mike Trout and former relief pitcher Mike Morin.

Trout testified that Skaggs was "like a brother" to him, that he cried when told he'd died and that he had no clue about drug use. But Trout also hedged when asked whether he had offered to pay for Kay's rehab, saying he just told him he'd help any way he could.

Morin, who pitched for the Angels from 2014 to 2017, said Kay sold him opioids "five to eight times" after an arm injury made him desperate to overcome pain and return to the mound. Yet under cross examination, Morin conceded that Skaggs was responsible for his own actions.

Carpino is responsible for the Angels' day-to-day operations and his office is adjacent to those of Mead, Taylor and formerly Kay. Duquette, former general manager of the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles, is expected to testify that Skaggs' future career earnings would have been no more than $30 million because of his drug use and history of injuries.

Read more:Angels star Mike Trout: Eric Kay had a drug problem and Tyler Skaggs was a valued friend

Skaggs' lawyers called earnings expert Jeff Fannell, a former labor lawyer for the MLB Players Assn., who testified that Skaggs would have earned between $109 million and $120 million and could still be pitching.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

One thing that has been shown over the last few years is that if there is an elite player available in free agency, the Mets are at least going to try to be involved. Sometimes they will land that player, like Juan Soto, and other times they won’t, like Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

There are few things as exciting in the hot stove season as blockbuster signings or trades. And there will be plenty of written and spoken words about some of the top-tier talent on the market, such as Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger. 

However, the best organizations are the ones that excel at the margins. Star players certainly are needed and are important, but extracting value from the middle parts of a roster is how a complete team is put together.

This is something the Mets excelled at in 2024, with Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, Jose Iglesias, and eventually Jesse Winker among those who provided big value. 

There wasn’t that same level of success in 2025, with Clay Holmes, Brooks Raley and Griffin Canning (prior to his injury) standing out as wins for the Mets. 

While fans will surely celebrate the big moves that are made this offseason, the under-the-radar additions should not be discounted.

Here are five under-the-radar free agents the Mets should pursue this winter...

RHP Emilio Pagán

This might be the least under-the-radar of the names you will read on this list. 

The 34-year-old Pagán posted a 2.88 ERA in 70 games with 28 saves as the Reds' closer in 2025. He struck out 81 batters in 68.2 innings and posted a 0.92 WHIP.

The Mets currently do not have a closer, and this isn’t necessarily advocating signing Pagán in that role. Re-signing Diazis the top option, with names like Robert Suarez or Devin Williams as potential fallback options.

The Mets need, in the words of David Stearns, "multiple relievers."

Beyond the closer role, the Mets have Raley, A.J. Minter, and Huascar Brazóban as established relievers in the bullpen -- that’s it.

Pagán hasn’t historically been a closer, so a move to a setup role on a contender could appeal to him.

This past year he had a plus strikeout rate of 30 percent and a near average walk rate of 8.1 percent. Pagán averaged 96 mph on his fastball that he threw over 61 percent of the time, and graded as a plus pitch with +9 run value.

His best secondary pitch is a mid-80s splitter that generated a 40.7 percent whiff rate -- and batters hit only .121 against it.

It is unlikely Pagán will command more than a two-year deal, and as a setup man, he could make an overhauled Mets bullpen deeper and more secure.

RHP Nick Martinez

Martinez had an excellent 2024 season with the Reds, posting a 3.10 ERA in 42 appearances (16 starts).

This led to him receiving and accepting the qualifying offer to return to Cincinnati in 2025.

The 35-year-old didn’t have quite the same success, with a 4.45 ERA in 40 appearances (26 starts) across 165.2 innings.

Where Martinez brings value is his Swiss-army knife-like versatility as a pitcher. He can be a starter, he can be a standard reliever, and he can be a swing-man.

He is not the hardest thrower -- he will average just around 93 mph on his fastball and throw the kitchen sink with six pitches, according to Statcast.

Martinez’s game is based on throwing strikes, missing barrels and avoiding hard contact. He is not someone who can be relied on for a lot of swing-and-miss, as he routinely has had a below-average strikeout rate.

After a 2025 season where the Mets starters struggled to provide length, a pitcher like Martinez could have help bridge the gap in some of those games.

He could be an option on a one-year deal to help fill quite literally whatever role it is that the Mets wanted him to.

RHP Zach Eflin

The Mets are likely to be in pursuit of starting pitching help closer to the top of the trade and free agent market. 

In 2025, New York's starting pitching fell off after May. Part of that was the fact that they more or less ran out of starters due to injuries. 

Even if the Mets do acquire a frontline starter, veteran depth at the back end is something they also need. 

The 31-year-old Eflin pitched through back discomfort in 2025, which led to his least productive season in nearly a decade, posting a 5.93 ERA in 71.1 innings. He eventually underwent back surgery, but is expected to be full-go for spring training.

In 2023 and 2024, he combined to make 59 starts, posting a 3.54 ERA while averaging 171 innings per season.

Eflin is one of the best strike-throwers in baseball, ranking in the 98th percentile or better in walk percentage each of the last three seasons. When he is right, he throws six pitches that generate plus chase rate numbers and keeps the ball on the ground with weak contact. And the Mets have upgraded their infield defense with the addition of Marcus Semien.

If his back checks out on a physical, Eflin could fit in as a No. 4, borderline No. 3 type of starter that -- depending on how all the puzzle pieces of the Mets rotation fit -- could be an option as a second starter added.

OF Rob Refsnyder

After the trade of Brandon Nimmo, the Mets have two holes in the outfield that need to be filled.

One of the candidates is Mets No. 2 prospect Carson Benge.

The left-handed hitting Benge improved against left-handed pitching as the 2025 campaign wore on. He ultimately hit .232 with a .733 OPS against southpaws, but it is not abnormal for a young player to have platoon splits.

However, it could be in the Mets' best interest to pair Benge with a right-handed hitter, at least early in his career.

There are few hitters in baseball that hit left-handed pitching the way the 35-year-old Refsnyder does.

In 138 plate appearances against left-handed pitching in 2025, Refsnyder hit .302 with a .959 OPS with seven home runs and 25 RBI. He can consistently find the barrel and posts plus exit velocity and hard-hit rates.

If a one-year sample size isn’t enough, in 2024 he posted very similar numbers, hitting .302 with a .941 OPS with eight home runs and 23 RBI in 145 plate appearances against lefties.

Refsnyder is a tick below-average defensively, grading out at  -1 OAA for range, though he does have a plus arm -- with his arm strength grading above the 80th percentile in each of the last three seasons.

He has played exclusively in the corner outfield spots the last few seasons, but has some experience playing first base as well.

The Mets could do a whole lot worse than a Benge/Refsnyder platoon situation in a corner outfield spot.

RHP Jacob Webb

Webb was non-tendered by the Rangers last week after posting a 3.00 ERA in 55 games out of the bullpen.

He has quietly been a consistent reliever the last three years, posting a combined 3.22 ERA in 176.1 innings and striking out 173. His strikeout rate did drop some in 2025 at 21.7 percent, which is just below average.

He has often outperformed his expected ERA, but if a pitcher does that three years in a row, that can’t just be luck.

While his fastball averaged just 93.4 mph, it graded out as a plus pitch with a plus-7 run value grade as he gets some good ride on it. Opposing batters only hit .186 against the heater. Webb's mid-80s changeup was his best swing-and-miss pitch, generating a whiff rate of over 35 percent as opposing batters hit just .208 against it. His sweeper did not grade out as well as it did in 2024, so perhaps this is something that can be tweaked by new pitching coach Justin Willard.

Webb might profile best as a middle reliever. But while the Mets need to fill out the end of games as mentioned above, they also need middle relief help. Webb could be a value add in that role, likely on a one-year deal.