Oct 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees general manger Brian Cashman before game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Agent's Comments Hint Yankees Could Land Japanese Pitcher

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Erin Shapland | Last updated Nov 24, 2025 12:40 PM ET

Injuries to the New York Yankees' starting rotation is expected to keep at three major players out for at least the very beginning of the 2026 season. A coveted Japanese starter they have their eye on may be realistic, given a recent statement from his agent.

Tatsuya Imai is represented by agent Scott Boras, who also represents the Yankees' free agent outfield target, Cody Bellinger. According to Boras, Imai does not have any particular leaning when it comes to the geographic location of his prospective MLB team, meaning the Los Angeles Dodgers aren't a lock for him.

“Imai is very geographically open,” Boras recently said, per the New York Daily News' Gary Phillips.

Yankees Have the Opportunity to Finally Land a Star From Japan

At the recent general manager meetings, Yankees GM Brian Cashman spoke on the Yankees' failure to land any Japanese stars in recent years. The failure hasn't been for lack of trying, as the team went in on 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the 2023 offseason, but came up short.

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

“I have nothing to do with our business side, so I can’t really speak to that,” Cashman said, when asked about the team's efforts with the Japanese market. “There is the belief or understanding that, obviously, it opens up different business, marketing, signage, what have you. But that’s not my area. If I do a good job on the baseball side, then everybody else in the company can capitalize on whatever comes their way. Our ticket director sells more tickets. The YES Network can have higher ratings and the signage price tags can go higher, I guess.

“But ultimately, if there’s a quality player, and he’s from Japan, yeah, I’m all in. And we’ve missed — not for a lack of effort or money — on a number of guys coming from Japan because they preferred the West Coast. They preferred the Dodgers specifically. I think [Shohei] Ohtani has been a great lure, as well as the West Coast.”

Imai was officially posted on November 19, and he will be available through January 2 to be picked up by MLB teams.

Imai finished the 2025 season at Nippon Professional Baseball's Saitama Seibu Lions with a 1.92 ERA in 24 starts. A 27-year-old right-hander (turning 28 in May), Imai would be a practical addition to the Yankees' rotation for their immediate depth needs, and would hope to bolster them into the future with fellow younger arms like Will Warren and Cam Schlittler.

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