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The Los Angeles Dodgers’ big bets on Japanese pitchers paid off earlier this month.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto received the World Series MVP honors, Roki Sasaki recorded critical outs, and Shohei Ohtani started in Game 7. Now, Tatsuya Imai is the latest Japanese ace and free agent who has his sights set on Major League Baseball. But the right-hander hopes his path to the majors does not pass through Los Angeles.

Imai is in the midst of a 45-day posting window, which affords him the opportunity to agree to a contract with any major league team of his choosing.

“I rather take them down,” Imai told Japan’s TV Asahi program “Hodo Station,” per MLB.com, with a hint of laughter.

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“Of course

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