International free agency is a crucial component to succeeding in Major League Baseball today. The Dodgers' repeat World Series championships were fueled by players acquired via international free agency, such as Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, and Hyeseong Kim. If the Nationals want to build a playoff contender, they need to invest in international free agency. This year, the following players are strong candidates for the Nationals to consider:
Anthony Kay
Anthony Kay, a former first-round draft pick by the New York Mets, had a brief and ineffective Big League career. In five seasons, the lefty pitched 85 and a third innings and had a 5.59 ERA. In the 2024 season, Kay began pitching with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Across the Pacific Ocean, Kay discovered a better form this past season, where he pitched to a 1.74 ERA in 155 innings pitched; his ERA was the fifth lowest in Japan’s top league. Many ineffective Major Leaguers have gone to Asia and then transformed into effective Major League starters once coming back to the U.S.
Merrill Kelly, for instance, pitched four seasons in South Korea, then came back to the U.S. to become an effective starter and a crucial component of the Diamondbacks' 2023 World Series run. Kay has the potential to replicate Kelly’s success. Granted, there is always risk with signing NPB players, and Kay did not dominate hitters, posting a strikeout rate of only 7.5 this past season. Still, he has made clear adjustments, and he has added pitches like a two-seamer and a curveball, which could translate to success if he comes stateside again.
Kazuma Okamoto
Munetaka Murakami is the most notable corner infielder who could come to the Major Leagues from Japan, but Kazuma Okamoto would also be an upgrade at first or third base for the Nationals. Okamoto has been a force in the Yomiuri Giants lineup since 2018. The righty slugger has a career OPS of .856, and in 2023, he led NPB with 41 home runs.
This past season, though, an elbow injury led Okamoto to only play 77 games. Okamoto, who is 29, has an elite walk rate and an elite strikeout rate in MLB. He has skills that will translate well to the major leagues. However, the Nationals should still be wary of an older hitter who has never played Major League Baseball and is a weak defender.
Tatsuya Imai
Tatsuya Imai has been a dominant starting pitcher for the Saitama Seibu Lions. This past season, Imai pitched to a 1.92 ERA in 163 and two-thirds innings pitched. Imai has high-end stuff that will hopefully translate well to the MLB. His fastball sits at 95 miles per hour and can touch 99, and he has a strong slider to use against right-hand batters and an effective splitter to utilize against lefties.
Imai is also only 27-years-old, making him one of the youngest starting pitchers on the free agent market. The Nationals should look to add him, especially if they trade Mackenzie Gore, to add an effective starter in the prime years of their career.