When the Atlanta Braves were rumored to be pursuing Tatsuya Imai, it was a bit of a surprise to be honest. Historically, the Braves have not been involved in the market for Japanese players at all really owing, in part, to their geography and the preferences of most players from Japan. On top of that, the Braves have already spent a good bit on their 2026 payroll this offseason which made Imai feel like a stretch at best.
As a result, most Braves fans weren't surprised nor were they outraged at Imai signing elsewhere.