There has been a growing sense that, while the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs were perceived as the favorites for Japanese starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai, the Yankees may not have a genuine interest. That was the impression when Aaron Boone revealed the team hadn’t yet met with Imai, and the latest intel from the YES Network’s Jack Curry suggests that New York can be ruled out as a suitor.
Curry mentioned during the network’s latest Hot Stove show that the connection between the Yankees and Imai “does not exist”.
The vibe that Jack Curry is getting with the Yankees and Tatsuya Imai is that the connection “does not exist”.
He believes Imai will not sign with them. pic.twitter.com/QAgKWErsdt
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) December 23, 2025
The Yankees not being involved in the bidding would, in theory, help the Cubs’ efforts toward landing the 27-year-old free agent. The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma have maintained that the Cubs are interested in Imai, but may not view him as being capable of turning into an ace-caliber starting pitcher. As such, they don’t believe the Cubs will be involved in the bidding if it reaches $150 million.
Signs from New York continue to suggest the Cubs could be the suitor for Tatsuya Imai
It’s been a strange offseason for the free agents making their way from Japan. Typically, there’s a clear sense of the teams interested. That hasn’t exactly been the case for Imai, Munetaka Murakami, and Kazuma Okamoto. In the case of Murakami, he settled for a two-year deal with the Chicago White Sox worth $34 million.
Imai’s posting window closes on January 2. While he was expected to begin meeting with teams after the Winter Meetings, it has yet to be reported if the Cubs were among the teams to have a visit. Outside of the Cubs and Yankees, the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies are other teams that could be interested in the starting pitcher.
There’s been a suggestion that Imai may not be keen on the idea of playing in Chicago, and he’s also directly said that he may not be too interested in playing for a team that already has Japanese players on their roster. Perhaps, as they did with Murakami before he signed with the White Sox, Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki can play a factor in Imai’s recruitment to the city.
Much of the Cubs’ offseason has felt like they are saving money for a big-ticket item. In theory, that could be Imai, but with Zac Gallen and Alex Bregman also on the free-agent market, it’s no sure thing.