There is no secret that the New York Yankees have to address their rotation during the offseason. The team will be without key starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon to start the 2026 season due to injuries. As a result, there is a massive hole in New York’s rotation behind Cy Young candidate Max Fried.
Despite the huge need, Yankees management has yet to make a significant signing so far. Several free agent starters, however, have been heavily linked with New York in recent weeks. Perhaps the most high-profile pitcher in this particular category is Tatsuya Imai. The Japanese star is widely considered one of the top free agents in all of baseball.
In fact, ESPN previously predicted that Imai would receive a six-year, $135 million deal with a new team. Nevertheless, this particular figure could now be hard to reach. Because he was posted by Japanese baseball in mid-November, he has until January 2 to sign with an MLB club. Although several teams have been linked with Imai, the star recently admitted that he has not received many serious offers yet.
“Apparently, there actually aren’t many concrete options on the table yet,” Imai said on TV Asahi’s ‘Udo Times,’ according to a translated post on social media, reported by the New York Post. “And it seems that having teams show interest and receiving a formal offer are completely different things.”
New York Yankees Could Intensify Tatsuya Imai Talks if Price Tag Drops
GettyTatsuya Imai’s agent, Scott Boras, has plenty of history with the New York Yankees.
With just a few days remaining in the sweepstakes, the Yankees could actually benefit from the lack of real interest in Imai. New York’s stance on the Japanese star has been debated by several MLB insiders in recent weeks. Some in the industry believe that the Yankees are definite finalists to sign Imai. Others, however, believe that the links between the team and player are essentially nonexistent.
With time running out, Imai and his agent Scott Boras could now be willing to lower their contract demands. This is where New York could come in. If the Yankees are actually in on Imai, they could soon get him for a cheaper-than-expected price tag.
The team’s finances have been discussed at length since the 2025 season ended. While New York is typically seen as a free-spending club, reports surfaced in November that Hal Steinbrenner wanted to reduce the team’s payroll to under $300 million. General manager Brian Cashman, however, refused to confirm the story in a recent interview.
Cashman Heaped Praise on Imai in Recent Interview
Despite Cashman’s comments, the team’s lack of moves in free agency is somewhat telling. The Yankees appear willing to be patient to grab either Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker in free agency. Along with starting pitching, New York also has a glaring hole in the outfield.
Assuming that the Yankees can get one of the two pricey outfielders, they may have to be smart in addressing their rotation. Nevertheless, potentially signing Imai to a somewhat discounted contract could be too good to pass up.
Cashman has publicly raved about the pitcher and would seemingly be willing to make a run at the star if his price drops. The Yankees would also love to have a Japanese player on the team, something they have not had since 2020.
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