48 hours to go, Yankees in pole position for Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai
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Follow UsNEW YORK — The countdown has started on one of the most watched decisions of the offseason. Tatsuya Imai will officially enter the posting system on November 19, and the Yankees have placed themselves in a strong position to land the Japanese star.
The right-hander comes off his best season with the Saitama Seibu Lions. He delivered a 1.92 ERA in 163.2 innings with 178 strikeouts and only 45 walks in 2025. His season earned him a spot in the NPB All-Star Game for the third time.
A rotation in crisis mode
The Yankees approach 2026 with a rotation in trouble. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt will not be ready for Opening Day. All three had surgeries that will keep them out for months. That leaves Max Fried as the only veteran starter available to open the year. The Yankees must lean on Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, and Will Warren to cover innings. None have proved they can handle a full big league workload.
Brian Cashman addressed the issue during the GM meetings. He stayed in New York for personal reasons while assistant GM Michael Fishman and others represented the club in Las Vegas. Cashman met reporters through Zoom and discussed the state of the roster.
“We’ll be exploring how to protect ourselves so we’re not taking on water early because our rotation is compromised out of the gate,” Cashman said.
Why Imai fits the Yankees blueprint
The Yankees need stability and innings. Imai offers both. His fastball sits between 93 and 97 mph and reaches 99. His slider had a 53 percent whiff rate in 2025. He mixes in a splitter and vulcan changeup that keep hitters off balance. His mix of pitches fits what the Yankees target in a frontline starter.
Scott Boras, Imai’s agent, confirmed the November 19 posting date. Teams will have a 45 day window to negotiate. The deadline to reach an agreement falls in early January.
“When most teams talk to me about Imai, they say, ‘Oh, my,'” Boras said. “He’s that kind of guy. I think when you watch him pitch, he leaves an indelible mark on you.”
Boras also said Imai has matched the accomplishments of Yoshinobu Yamamoto during his time in Japan. Yamamoto signed a 12 year, 325 million dollar contract with the Dodgers last winter.
The Yankees send a message
Cashman made it clear that the Yankees plan to be aggressive. He pointed to the franchise’s track record with Japanese talent such as Hideki Matsui, Hiroki Kuroda and Masahiro Tanaka.
“We’ve played in the Japanese market certainly in years gone by, and had success,” Cashman said. “But those are too long gone. We have been very aggressive in the more recent market, but fell short.”
The Yankees pushed hard to sign Yamamoto last year. Reports said they offered 10 years and 300 million dollars. Yamamoto chose the Dodgers. That loss left the Yankees frustrated. Cashman said the club wants to prove it can still land stars from Japan.
“Those players made the decision to go play for the Dodgers, and clearly the success has followed them,” Cashman said. “So I’m interested in gravitating to any player anywhere in the world, including Japan, and we’ll play in those markets if it’s a fit for us.”
According to MLB Network’s David Vassegh, the Yankees are among six MLB teams seeking the ace.
“And speaking of some sources, with my Japanese friends out there, they told me that the Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, and Mets are the leading candidates to sign Imai, along with the Padres, who we know is in desperate need of starting pitching.”
What scouts see in Imai
Imai has improved every season. He held his ERA under 2.50 for three straight years before 2025. His early career walk problems have faded. He walked 5.1 batters per nine innings in 2022. That fell to 4.1 in 2023. It dropped to 3.6 in 2024 and then down to 2.5 in 2025. His command now matches his power.
He has a rare stat. Imai posted a 32 percent whiff rate in 2025. That is the highest mark for a qualified NPB pitcher since data tracking began in 2014. He is also the only qualified NPB starter to reach a swinging strike rate at or above 15 percent.
His fastball works in the zone and has a 70 percent strike rate. His slider does most of the damage. It carries a 53 percent whiff rate with a 40 percent zone rate. Right-handed hitters struggled to track both pitches all season.
The competition heats up
Several teams plan to challenge the Yankees. The Mets, Giants, Dodgers, Cubs and Red Sox all want rotation upgrades. The Mets ranked 25th in rWAR from their pitchers in 2025. Owner Steve Cohen has the financial power to outbid anyone. He made a strong push for Yamamoto two years ago and may take a similar approach with Imai.
The Dodgers remain a major threat. They have become the top landing spot for Japanese players. Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto both joined them in recent years. Even with a full rotation, the Dodgers continue to chase high end pitching.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Imai could sign for eight years and 200 million dollars. That would make him the second biggest free agent on the market behind Kyle Tucker.
Why the Yankees hold an edge
The Yankees offer something most teams do not. They have a pressing need. They cannot afford to take risks with their rotation. Imai can step in as their number one or two starter from day one. The Dodgers and Mets have options. The Yankees do not.
New York also gives Imai the biggest baseball stage. The attention and endorsement potential in the Bronx are unmatched. Japanese players have excelled in this environment before. Tanaka enjoyed strong success during his seven seasons in New York. Kuroda posted a 3.45 ERA in his three years with the Yankees.
Cashman said the team is ready to commit to Imai. He wants the Yankees to return to the center of the Japanese market.
The financial reality
Signing Imai involves a posting fee. The Seibu Lions will receive 20 percent of the first 25 million dollars of his contract. They will get 17.5 percent of the next 25 million and 15 percent of the remaining amount. A 200 million dollar contract results in a 32.5 million dollar posting fee. Total cost reaches 232.5 million before taxes.
The Yankees paid 62.5 million dollars in luxury tax penalties in 2024. They still carry large contracts for Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Cole, Rodon and Fried. Cashman mentioned the team may explore cheaper options. Lucas Giolito projects for a two year, 32 million dollar deal.
Imai will be posted in 48 hours. Teams will move fast once the window opens. The Yankees believe they have built a strong case. Their need is clear.
Cashman and the Yankees know this is a chance they cannot lose. Their rotation problems leave no room for another miss. When the window opens Tuesday, the Yankees plan to push from the start. They need Imai more than any team in the league.
Whether that need becomes a deal is the question.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
With Boras as his agent, and knowing the Yankees need, he will try and squeeze every penny he can get from Cashman. Not to hopeful here.
This article is a joke! They slipped in a mention of the Jays lol! Always the Yankees but the Yankees got clapped by the Jays!
2 OUts Away! Imai wants to take down the Dodgers. No Japanese players on the team. The only Team that fits all 3 is the Jays!
Imai doesnt want to go to the Dodgers he wants to take them down and the only team who was 2 outs away and needs a pitcher to be put up against Yakamoto is Imai in Toronto!
An Entire Country will be rooting for him and Jays Dome is the loudest during playoffs!
All the jays need is another starter and a closer. Theyre ready! The Yankees are missing way too much and nothing is stable in the pitching! They got crushed!
Why you Americans hating on the Jays so much lol! Jelly, they won back to back!
The league is so biased against them which many dont want to come to Toronto but after last world Series that all changed which even Bieber picked up his option which was rare!
Why did he pick it up? Because the Jays are like a Family. They enjoy each other and its not faked like all the rest!
And the Jays are relentless and Never give up!
Imai wants to go against the Big Names and beasts. He would avoid the Yankees if thats the case like he said he wants to take down the Dodgers and the Yankees are no better!
Imai to Toronto!