Improving their presence in Japan has been a point of emphasis for Jed Hoyer since taking over as the Chicago Cubs' president of baseball operations, and his work has paid off with the team signing Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga during his tenure. Imanaga and Suzuki were core pieces in the Cubs' playoff run, and their success is likely what the team would point to in their recruitment of Tatsuya Imai this offseason.
As it turns out, Imai may not be interested in hearing that pitch. Speaking about his free agency, Imai didn't exactly seem too thrilled with the idea of signing with a team that already has a Japanese player on their roster.