Yankees Set to Pursue Japan’s Tatsuya Imai as Rotation Questions Grow

The club is prioritizing value as it weighs an earnest bid for the posted right-hander.

Overview

The Athletic reports New York will “earnestly pursue” Tatsuya Imai while continuing to survey the broader pitching market.
Team posture suggests the Yankees will not overpay if bidding escalates for the 27-year-old starter.
Gerrit Cole is working back from complete UCL reconstruction with a potential May return, and Clarke Schmidt and Carlos Rodón are not expected for Opening Day.
Imai is being posted this offseason after a 2025 NPB campaign highlighted by a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 163.1 innings.
Across eight NPB seasons with Seibu, Imai has a 3.07 career ERA over 1,077 2/3 innings, positioning him as a frontline-caliber target.