With hitters like Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, and Cody Bellinger grabbing most of the headlines in free agency, the pitching market has been much thinner. One of the few arms still drawing genuine interest is Tatsuya Imai, and for a while, the Yankees appeared to be in the mix.

Well, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. YES Network’s Jack Curry reported that New York is no longer pursuing Imai, which aligns with the team’s cautious approach this offseason. The Yankees appear to be keeping their focus elsewhere, particularly on trying to work out a deal with Kyle Tucker. But according to MLB insider Chris Gimenez, the Yankees stepping away from Imai could open the door for another team to move in more aggressively and land him.

“The Cubs need to find depth for their rotation. They did lose Brad Keller to the Phillies, which is a big one because he was such a big part of this pen last year. They need to find somebody to make up for the leverage that they lost in losing Keller.” Gimenez shared via MLB Network Radio.

For the unversed, Keller was excellent for the Cubs last season. He went 4–2 with a 2.07 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and held hitters to a .182 average across 68 appearances. In fact, he ranked 14th out of 144 qualified relievers in 2025. So losing him to the Phillies is a pretty big blow for Chicago.

That’s where Tatsuya Imai enters the picture.

While he’s projected as a starter and wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement for Keller in the bullpen, the Cubs still see him as a way to strengthen their overall pitching depth.

More than that, they view Imai as someone who could anchor the rotation. Remember how the Cubs have had stretches of inconsistency among their starters. So, Imai could bring some much-needed stability at the top.

Well, we are also optimistic about Imai’s stuff translating with the Cubs, especially with a fastball that touches 99 mph and an above-average slider. And also having fellow Japanese players like Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki already on the roster could make his transition smoother.

And with Kyle Tucker no longer on the books, the Cubs have more financial room to work with, which puts them in a strong position to offer Imai a deal projected around $135 million!

Tatsuya Imai’s landing in New York shouldn’t be ruled out

Even though the Cubs seem to be out in front in the Imai sweepstakes, and the Yankees have mostly backed away, it would be a mistake to assume he’s completely off the table for New York teams! That’s because the Mets are still rumored to be in the mix.

Notably, the Mets haven’t made a major splash yet this offseason, and they’re sitting on plenty of financial flexibility. So, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if they decided to spend that money on someone like Tatsuya Imai.

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If you remember, David Stearns has taken enough heat for not doing enough to land top-tier pitching, especially after missing out on names like Edwin Díaz and Dylan Cease.

Imai would likely come at a lower price than Cease. Thus, he could be precisely the type of move the Mets are looking for. Even if the Cubs don’t end up landing him, don’t rule out the Mets swooping in as a dark-horse contender out of nowhere.