The New York Yankees need to get busy. While other MLB teams are making big moves in the pitching department, the Yankees haven’t made the splash that everyone is waiting for. While the most ink has been spilled regarding what infielders and outfielders the Yankees will target, what they do on the mound may be more critical. Despite the Boston Red Sox trading for Sonny Gray and the Toronto Blue Jays signing Dylan Cease, the Yankees have been linked to a few big names. Devin Williams, Tatsuya Imai, and Michael King are among those linked.
It was known that the Yankees have stiff competition to sign the starting pitcher they are favored to land. However, a new report suggests that one team may not be as serious a contender to sign him as initially thought.
Major Contender for Tatsuya Imai Dropping Out of Race?
One MLB insider is pouring cold water on the theory that the San Francisco Giants are the frontrunners for Imai. ESPN journalist Buster Olney shared a new report that should have Yankees fans jumping for joy.
“The Giants have been repeatedly linked to Tatsuyi Imai, the premier free agent pitcher from Japan,” Olney wrote in a social media post on November 29, 2025. “But a lot of their market pitching inquiries have been for more modestly priced arms — a strong indication they aren’t chasing the highest priced pitchers, like Imai.”
Another recent post that adds fuel to this fire involves the Yankeesource user on X.
“NPB Scout on Imai and Yankees fit: ‘he’s a good pitcher for that city,” their post from November 29th says. “Fans will love his demeanor. He enjoys pressure.”
This feels like a perfect storm for the Yankees. Imai has recently spoken about taking down the Los Angeles Dodgers rather than joining them. Combine that with the recent reveal about the Giants, and it’s nothing but good news.
The Yankees’ Good News Doesn’t Stop There
The other good news for the Yankees is a little more obvious.
The Blue Jays made waves earlier in the week. They signed Cease to a reported eight-year contract, although the team has yet to officially confirm the news.
Should this report turn out to be true, it turns the Yankees’ good news into the best news ever.
The Blue Jays were reported to be in on Imai. Even as recently as November 26th, Toronto had eyes on Imai, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.
So did signing Cease change all of that? Yes and no.
For starters, they aren’t as desperate to add another arm to the mound. However, if the Blue Jays are going to be as aggressive as everyone is suggesting, it would be wise to not count them out.
However, Jon Heyman reports that the Blue Jays’ next move will be adding a late-inning arm to their bullpen. Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez are potential targets for Toronto. So, they aren’t out of the starting pitchers market; they are just temporarily shifting focus.
The time is now for the Yankees to get their guy. The iron has never been hotter.
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