Tatsuya Imai is still training in Japan, but his next stop is clearly coming into view.
According to Japanese outlet Sponichi Annex, the 27-year-old right-hander plans to travel to the United States soon as his posting window enters its final stretch, with negotiations set to close Jan. 2. While Imai said the date of his trip has not been finalized, the timing alone has added urgency to a process that now appears to be narrowing.
So has the market.
With Michael King off the board and back in San Diego — without the Yankees ever making an offer — Imai has emerged as the Yankees’ clearest remaining path to adding a starting pitcher. U.S. Reports have already linked the Yankees and Cubs as the most likely landing spots, a view echoed in Japanese media, which has described New York as a leading candidate.
Imai, for his part, has remained calm amid the speculation.
“Well, I can’t do anything about it,” he said, according to Sponichi, noting he has been in contact with agent Scott Boras and plans to head to the U.S. In the near future. His future club, he added, would take priority over any decision about playing in the World Baseball Classic next spring.
That looming move matters for the Yankees, whose pitching options have narrowed quickly.
Former Mets general manager Steve Phillips laid out the choice earlier this week on MLB Network Radio.
“The reports right now are that the Yankees are aggressively in the market for a starter and they’re in a position to either get Imai or Michael King,” Phillips said.
King is gone. The window is smaller.
The Yankees have chased elite Japanese pitching before, pursuing Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, only to come up short. The last free-agent star the Yankees signed from Japan was Masahiro Tanaka in 2014.
This time, the landscape looks different. The Dodgers are not expected to be a factor, and Imai has been clear that he would rather face them than join them, recently telling a Japanese outlet, “They don’t need me.”
That removes a familiar obstacle and raises the stakes.
Imai brings both upside and uncertainty.
He’s coming off two dominant seasons with the Seibu Lions, posting a 2.14 ERA with 365 strikeouts over 337 innings, powered by an upper-90s fastball and a wipeout slider. He has never pitched in the majors, but the Yankees have successfully navigated that transition before.
The need is obvious. Gerrit Cole is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. Carlos Rodon is expected to start the season on the injured list. Clarke Schmidt could miss a significant portion of the year. Max Fried and Luis Gil can stabilize the rotation, but not carry it alone.
With Imai preparing to cross the Pacific and the deadline approaching, the Yankees aren’t just monitoring the market anymore.
They’re watching the calendar.
And soon, they may have their answer.
