The New York Yankees are reportedly likely to be among the top suitors for Japanese star pitcher Tatsuya Imai.
According to The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, league sources said that the Yankees “are expected to earnestly pursue Imai as they continue to survey the entire pitching market for an arm.”
It was just two years ago during the 2023 offseason that the Yankees fell short of landing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who chose to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers and went on to be named this year’s World Series MVP. It’s been quite some time since New York has been the big spender in free agency it once was, but it sounds like that could change this year.
Imai was a three-time All-Star in Nippon Professional Baseball. He made his pro debut in 2018 for the Saitama Seibu Lions and already racked up 907 career strikeouts. He made himself more attractive to the Yankees when he declared that he’d rather go up against the Dodgers than land in Los Angeles.
Kuty noted that Imai “would represent an upgrade to just about any rotation, but particularly to the Yankees’ group, which has so many questions heading into spring training.” New York is still uncertain about the status of ace Gerrit Cole, who missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Still, Kuty added that the Yankees aren’t looking to break the bank, stating, “Don’t be surprised if they end up going cheaper if the price ratchets up for the right-hander.”
Yankees fans have been waiting to see the team win a World Series since 2009, so it can be expected that they will be even more restless if the team falls short of landing Imai this offseason.