The Yankees have emerged as one of the favorites for Tatsuya Imai according to Francys Romero, and Yankee Source has reported that the team’s interest in the right-hander is strong.
Early readings of the situation are hard to view as concrete, but sources are telling Empire Sports Media that the organization is ‘highly motivated’ to pursue and land Imai.
In speaking to people familiar with the situation, New York would like to get back into the NPB market, which we reported earlier in the offseason including in an article I wrote yesterday.
While Tatsuya Imai’s preferences are not known, if he is willing to play on the East Coast the Yankees should be viewed as frontrunners in this bidding war.
I expect other East Coast teams to be involved such as the Blue Jays and Mets, who have clear needs in the rotation, but the organization seems to be committed to not being a bridesmaid in a pursuit of a Japanese star again.
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Inside the Yankees’ Motivation to Sign Tatsuya Imai this Offseason
The Yankees are expected to aggressively pursue Tatsuya Imai according to those with knowledge of their thinking, and it boils down to the talent he’s displayed and what he hasn’t shown just yet.
Imai generated a 32% Whiff%, the highest mark by a qualified starting pitcher in the Nippon Baseball League since this data began being tracked in 2014.
Teams such as the New York Yankees have taken notice, and its why the organization is extremely invested in making a pitch and pursuit to lure in the 27-year-old right-hander.
He performed better than Kodai Senga and Shota Imanaga did in their final NPB seasons while being two years younger, and I’d project a no. 2 starter outcome if he makes the right adjustments this winter.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is better than Tatsuya Imai, but that failed pursuit is part of the motivation behind the Yankees’ thinking here.
The Yankees made an aggressive bid for Yamamoto, submitting an eight-year $300 million offer, but the Dodgers seemed to have an advantage in the sweepstakes (and offered more money).
Los Angeles going the extra mile is why they’re back-to-back World Series Champions, and while Imai isn’t of his caliber, he could end up being the best starter available this offseason.
Japanese stars coming over to the United States have had more success than ever before, especially on the pitching side, and they’re creating added profit for organizations which the Yankees are aware of.
I’d expect fierce competition, especially since the Dodgers might not be swimming in these waters this winter, meaning a team that’s perceived to have the edge in these conversations won’t be an obstacle to overcome.
As mentioned earlier, the Blue Jays and Mets make sense, but I’d throw the Red Sox into this mix as well on the East Coast, with the ultimate question being how Imai feels about traveling that far.