5+ hour, 36+ min ago (436+ words) Tatsuya Imai isn't looking to join a superteam as he eyes a move to the MLB. He wants to challenge one. Fresh off a Sawamura Award season, the star right-hander says defeating a stacked club like the Dodgers would mean more than joining them. Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai has spent the last few seasons establishing himself as one of Nippon Professional Baseball's most reliable front-line pitchers. Now, as he explores a potential jump to Major League Baseball, he's making one thing clear: he isn't interested in simply joining a ready-made powerhouse; he wants to beat one. During a recent appearance on "Hodo Station," hosted by former MLB pitcher and two-time World Baseball Classic champion Daisuke Matsuzaka, Imai was asked about the possibility of playing alongside Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki in Los Angeles. Many players from NPB have…...

5+ hour, 36+ min ago (384+ words) Tatsuya Imai isn't looking to join a superteam as he eyes a move to the MLB. He wants to challenge one. Fresh off a Sawamura Award season, the star right-hander says defeating a stacked club like the Dodgers would mean more than joining them. Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai has spent the last few seasons establishing himself as one of Nippon Professional Baseball's most reliable front-line pitchers. Now, as he explores a potential jump to Major League Baseball, he's making one thing clear: he isn't interested in simply joining a ready-made powerhouse; he wants to beat one. During a recent appearance on "Hodo Station," hosted by former MLB pitcher and two-time World Baseball Classic champion Daisuke Matsuzaka, Imai was asked about the possibility of playing alongside Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki in Los Angeles. Many players from NPB have…...

7+ hour, 35+ min ago (471+ words) When the news broke that Seibu Lions ace Tatsuya Imai was posted, many Major League fans had one question: Would he also want to join the Dodgers? After all, not only is Los Angeles arguably the closest flight back to Japan, but he'd be able to join fellow countrymen Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki to help L.A. push for a third consecutive World Series championship next year. Have no fear, fans of baseball's 29 other teams: Imai has no interest in forming a Miami Heat-esque superteam in Los Angeles. If anything, he wants to show off his skills and take those three down. Speaking with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show, "Hodo Station," Imai revealed a bit of a competitive edge. "Of course, I'd enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki," Imai told the former Major League pitcher and two-time World…...

10+ hour, 45+ min ago (366+ words) Tatsuya Imai throws in the inning during the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship Final between South Korea and Japan in Tokyo. Gene Wang / Getty Images Not so fast, according to what Imai said in an interview with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show, "Hodo Station." "Of course, I'd enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki," Imai told the former Boston Red Sox and New York Mets starter, "But winning against a team like that and becoming a World Champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I'd rather take them down." "If there were another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them about anything, right?" Imai said. "But that's actually not what I'm looking for. In a way, I want to experience that sense of survival. When I come face-to-face with cultural differences, I…...

12+ hour, 7+ min ago (329+ words) CHICAGO (OSV News) " A stakeholder " and next owner " of the Chicago White Sox baseball team said Pope Leo XIV told him that he'd "love to" throw a season opening first pitch in the future " "schedule permitting." Pope Leo's favorite sports team is the White Sox, and much has been made of his being a huge fan of the Chicago South Siders. He grew up as a diehard Sox fan in Chicago's south suburb of Dolton. Justin Ishbia, a Chicago billionaire, owner of a private equity firm and a co-owner of the team, told several major news outlets he met the pope outside St. Peter's Basilica at his general audience Nov. 19 and shared with him his vision for the future of the White Sox. The now-famous video footage of then-Father Robert Prevost's game 1 appearance at the 2005 World Series between the White…...

13+ hour, 29+ min ago (343+ words) CHICAGO (OSV News) "A stakeholder " and next owner " of the Chicago White Sox baseball team said Pope Leo XIV told him that he'd "love to" throw a season opening first pitch in the future " "schedule permitting." Pope Leo's favorite sports team is the White Sox, and much has been made of his being a huge fan of the Chicago South Siders. He grew up as a diehard Sox fan in Chicago's south suburb of Dolton. Justin Ishbia, a Chicago billionaire, owner of a private equity firm and a co-owner of the team, told several major news outlets he met the pope outside St. Peter's Basilica at his general audience Nov. 19 and shared with him his vision for the future of the White Sox. The now-famous video footage of then-Father Robert Prevost's game 1 appearance at the 2005 World Series between the White…...

13+ hour, 49+ min ago (1313+ words) This look is so early that we don't have a salary number to add for Phil Maton, who the Cubs were reported to have signed late last Friday. We'll do more of these as the offseason continues, and at some point someone will report what Maton will be getting in his two-year deal (with a third-year team option). In the meantime, as you will see, the Cubs have plenty of payroll room without going over the first luxury tax level, which for 2026 is $244 million. I'll say it right now: There's absolutely no reason the team shouldn't be spending more. By going under the tax in 2025, too, they reset any possible penalties for going over that level. Nothing I say here is going to make the Cubs spend. But they really ought to be doing it. Lastly, as the headline says,…...

15+ hour, 23+ min ago (447+ words) According to multiple reports over the weekend, the Cubs are signing relief pitcher Phil Maton to a two-year deal. The exact terms are not yet known, and the team has not yet confirmed the signing, but Maton is expected to be the first of a few new faces in the Cubs" bullpen as they look to get back to the postseason in 2026. Last season, the Cubs" bullpen was a significant part of their success. They won 92 games and came one win short of advancing to the National League Championship Series. The bullpen"s 3.78 ERA as a group helped propel the Cubs to their first postseason berth since 2020 and first playoff wins since 2017. But the relievers who got them that far are not all going to stick around; key members Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, and Drew Pomeranz all became free agents,…...

15+ hour, 49+ min ago (1393+ words) This is a love story about stadium food. Last spring, television cameras caught a couple at Wrigley Field Lady and the Tramp-ing a hot dog, attacking it simultaneously from either end until they eventually met in the middle for a kiss. At the same park, in 2012, the center-field message board flashed a fifth-inning proposal: erica, will you marry me? Alas, Erica's seat was empty. Only when she returned from her beer run, a cold one in either hand, was the message reposted while her suitor, Greg, took a knee, their relationship consecrated in two-fisted splendor. Ninety-seven years later, those last five words remain good advice. Ballpark food is equal parts gluttony and poetry. Dippin' Dots, tater tots, Chicken wings, onion rings. That's just one inning at a Rockies game. Eating a sundae from a Mets hat in Flushing, with blue…...

16+ hour, 16+ min ago (482+ words) The 2025-26 MLB free agent class is fascinating despite lackingAaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto, the three superstar MLB free agents of the past three winters. It's deep in sluggers and late-game relievers, with a helping of starting pitchers and third basemen. It feels hard to predict where players will land, and that should make this a fun offseason. The domino effect of one or two surprise signings -- such asKyle Schwarber not returning to the Philadelphia Phillies or Pete Alonso not returning to the New York Mets -- will create chaos. As always, a lot of money will be spent -- not all of it wisely. Last year's top-10 domestic free agents did pretty well, historically speaking, going from a combined 34.2 WAR in 2024 to 28.2 in 2025 to retain 82% of their value. In 2023-24, that figure was just 57% and in 2022-23, just 54%. Let's dig into the…...