Yankees viewed as the 'best fit' for three-time NPB All-Star

Jared Bloom

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Yankees viewed as the 'best fit' for three-time NPB All-Star image

The New York Yankees have a glaring problem going into the 2026 season. They will be without two of their frontline starters, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon. The two will not be ready for the start of the season as both are rehabbing from surgeries.  

Cole had Tommy John surgery at the start of the 2025 season, and Rodon had surgery to remove loose cartilage and a bone spur in his left elbow. 

The front office cannot feel good about the state of the rotation as it sits now. Expect them to go out and grab a frontline starter to help hold things down until Cole and Rodon can return. 

Yankees viewed as the 'best fit' for three-time NPB All-Star

There are plenty of frontline starters looking for a new opportunity next year. Framber Valdez leads the way, and he will control much of the market. 

While plenty of fans would be happy with Valdez, the Yankees could target another big-name pitcher. Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer believes they would be an excellent fit for three-time NPB All-Star Tatsuya Imai. 

"Though Tatsuya isn't the best starter available, he's the one who looks most likely to end up a Yankee. They tend to like pitchers with big stuff, and he checks that box in a big way with as many as five above average pitches in his arsenal."

Imai is looking forward to challenging himself in the United States, and what better place to go than the Yankees and work as one of their aces to start the year?

He would immediately give a boost to the rotation, and it could be quite the rotation once Cole and Rodon return. If the Bronx Bombers want to invest in someone to hold down the rotation at the start, then this might be their man.

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