Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Yankees Should Still Chase Popular Japanese Starter

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Erin Shapland | Last updated Nov 17, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The New York Yankees just re-signed left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough for 2026, marking their second pitching move of the offseason after exercising Tim Hill's $3 million club option. The Yarbrough reunion could mean the Yankees are considering using him in their rotation while their strongest starters recover at the beginning of the season, but it shouldn't mean they give up on signing another arm to fill that role.

Ranked 10th on the Athletic's top 50 free agents heading into 2026, 27-year-old Tatsuya Imai could be that piece for the Yankees. In a piece evaluating the three top free agents from Japan and how they fit with the Yankees, Brendan Kuty of the Athletic praised Imai as possibly the best fit for the team's needs.

"The Yankees scout Japan as heavily — particularly in person — as any big-league club," Kuty wrote. "They’re surely well aware of the talent all three possess. But Imai likely fits their needs best [...]."

"Imai is a right-hander with serious upside, and the Yankees are interested in him. They view him — as many teams do — as at least a mid-rotation type, according to a league source. Though he’s a bit undersized at 5-foot-11, his fastball reaches the mid- to upper-90s, and it comes from a low slot — a funky look for hitters. He also throws a slider, a cutter and a splitter that is less consistent than his heater."

Imai Matches Yankees' Pitching Needs

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Yankees will boast one of the strongest starting rotations in the MLB once everyone is healthy, as Max Fried, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren are expected to be healthy for Opening Day. Once they recover fully from their respective injuries, Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole are expected to join them in the summer. That said, the rotation is aging, with Rodon and Cole in their 30s and coming off major injuries, and Fried at 31.

Schlittler and Warren make up the younger cohort at 24 and 26 respectively, but both are somewhat under-proven. Though expensive, Imai would be a terrific option for early spring when things are less certain, and could be a strong long-term possibility while the younger starters develop.

The market for Imai is busy already, and the Yankees are among the favorites to land him in the end. Imai is projected for a $190 million contract for eight years, and with the success of Japanese starting pitchers like Shohei Ohtani and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Yankees are expected to be aggressive in an effort to become a destination for Japanese stars again. Hal Steinbrenner has not given general manager Brian Cashman a final budget for the offseason yet, per Cashman, but along with a Cody Bellinger reunion, the Yankees should use their financial power to pursue Imai.

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