Tatsuya Imai is one of MLB’s most intriguing free agents and one with a deadline coming this Friday. An ideal fit for the New York Mets for several reasons, the benefit of choosing him over several of the starting pitcher alternatives comes down to the lack of qualifying offer penalty and the smaller concerns over him possibly aging out over the course of a long contract.
Sign Framber Valdez and you’re losing two draft picks and $1 million in international bonus slot money while also bringing in a guy who’s going to finish off even a shorter contract in his mid-30s.