The Tatsuya Imai news dominated MLB conversations on Thursday, in part because there was virtually nothing else to discuss. Cubs fans weren’t the only ones lamenting their team’s unwillingness to sign the Japanese righty for what amounted to peanuts relative to his initial contract projections, but it’s not always as simple as matching or beating a financial offer. That is particularly true for players coming over from NPB, as we’ve seen more than once in the past.
Everyone remains so focused on Shohei Ohtani‘s groundbreaking Dodgers deal that they forget how he first signed with the Angels under the restrictions of international free agency.