Padres have the perfect pitch for a posted arm who wants to beat the Dodgers

There are a lot of reasons a pitcher would pick the Dodgers. Money. Marketing. A rotation that basically comes with a cheat code. But that’s exactly why Tatsuya Imai’s whole vibe matters here, because he’s been pretty direct that he doesn’t want to join that machine, he wants to take it down. 

And if that’s the mission statement, San Diego is the cleanest fit in baseball.

The Padres aren’t selling Imai on being “part of the story.” They’re selling him on being the guy who swings it. This team lives in the same division as the Dodgers, sees them constantly, and plays in a world where every NL West series feels like it comes with postseason energy baked in. If Imai wants regular, meaningful chances to hunt the dragon he pointed at, you don’t do that from the AL Central. You do it from the streetlight glare of the NL West, where you can rack up receipts and make it personal, again and again.

Tatsuya Imai to the Padres just makes too much sense if the goal is beating the Dodgers

And here’s the part where it gets even more interesting for the Padres: the opening is legit. Yu Darvish’s 2026 season is gone after elbow surgery, and the timeline makes it pretty clear San Diego can’t just “wait and see” its way through the top of the rotation. Add in the uncertainty around what the rest of the staff looks like, and suddenly this isn’t a luxury pursuit, it’s a baseball need with a competitive edge.

If he were to sign in L.A., he’d be another weapon in a weapons closet. If he signs in San Diego, he’s instantly a headline, instantly a plan, instantly a focal point. He’d be walking into a rotation that needs him to matter.

The White Sox have also emerged as a potential suitor. We don't need to list the reasons why beating the Dodgers won't get done from there.

And the Darvish connection is the cherry on top, because it’s not just marketing — it’s comfort and credibility. The Padres have a Japanese star already built into the fabric of the clubhouse, and it’s easy to see why that support system would hit different for a posted pitcher stepping into a new league, new language, new expectations. (It also doesn’t hurt that A.J. Preller has been scouting the ground in Japan and openly signaling readiness to pounce.) 

Zoom out to the clock. Imai’s posting window ends Friday, January 2, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET — and if he doesn’t sign by then, he goes back to the Seibu Lions for all of 2026. That deadline is exactly why the Padres pitch isn’t complicated:

Come to San Diego. You don’t have to hide behind a superteam. You get to face the Dodgers often, in games that actually matter, with a fanbase that treats “beat L.A.” like a second religion. And if you’re serious about building an independent legacy — not joining the final boss, but beating it — Petco Park is basically the most honest stage you can choose.