Are Yankees Eyeing Tatsuya Imai Contract? Latest Rumors Ahead of MLB Free Agency

Don't be surprised if the New York Yankees look to add pitching depth this winter and tap the Japanese market to do it.

According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, right-handed starter Tatsuya Imai has "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 5'11", 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."

One reason the Yankees could go after pitching is that Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt are expected to start the 2026 season on the injury list. While the team will still have Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil and Will Warren available in the rotation—and could give some starts to the recently re-signed Ryan Yarbrough as well—adding Imai would give them fantastic rotational depth (and could also give them the flexibility to trade some of those arms down the line to address other positions of need).

The 27-year-old Imai was 10-5 last season for the Saitama Seibu Lions in 24 games, posting a 1.92 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 178 strikeouts across 163.2 innings. He'll have plenty of suitors this offseason, though the Yankees sound as though they'll be among the more serious ones.