Dodgers easily could’ve saved Tatsuya Imai from root cause of struggles with Astros

Tatsuya Imai drew headlines during the offseason, expressing his desire to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers upon his arrival in Major League Baseball instead of joining them. The Dodgers were never thought to be a suitor for Imai, who signed a creative three-year deal with the Houston Astros. As it turns out, perhaps Imai should have looked closer into LA's success.

Imai's development plan in Houston is already facing an early hurdle. He's had one really good start where he's flashed signs of ascending toward becoming a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, but two other starts where his command issues reared their heads confirmed he's far from a finished product.

Through his first three starts, Imai hadn't been shy about the need to adjust to pitching mounds in Major League Baseball. But the concern was raised over the weekend when the Astros placed him on the IL with arm fatigue. Even more concerning is that Imai, through his interpreter, expressed difficulty adjusting to life stateside.

It makes you wonder how fully Imai explored the difference between signing with the Astros and the Dodgers. Signing Imai was one of the largest international signings the Astros have made in recent years, and it marked a shift in targeting players overseas. That's all fine, and overall, good for baseball, but it's at the center of why Imai shouldn't have had a firm stance against signing with the Dodgers.

Tatsuya Imai would've benefited from the Dodgers' culture

Say what you will about the Dodgers and their success on the field, they've become the model franchise for implementing international superstars. Their footprint in Japan has been well-documented, with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto having established roles at the center of the team's core. While Roki Sasaki has questions lingering around his development as a pitcher, there's no question that the Dodgers have gone out of their way to make him comfortable upon his transition to Major League Baseball.

As a competitor, no one would fault Imai for the desire to beat the best. And to be fair, it's still entirely too early to have any final determinations on Imai's profile. But, if he was looking for the best possible landing spot to start his MLB career, LA was the logical fit, considering the systems (and players) they already have in place.

Imai has a couple of chances to hit free agency over the next couple of years, so perhaps he does experience a change of heart for the Dodgers and considers the move. For now, it's good the Dodgers weren't players in his free agency.

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