The Yankees’ quiet offseason hasn’t been news to anyone at this point. Still, a few rumored names were enough to keep fans hopeful. That optimism took a hit when Munetaka Murakami landed with the White Sox, and Edwin Díaz signed with the Dodgers. And now, one of the few remaining names tied to the Yankees was Tatsuya Imai, but even that buzz is fading!

Reportedly, YES Network’s Jack Curry recently said the Yankees are no longer in the race for Imai. And it doesn’t stop there: as the Yankees lose their grip on him, an unexpected team has suddenly emerged and is now pushing ahead in the chase for Imai.

“Moving on to Tatsuya Imai. And I think he lands with the Cubs. For the Cubs, they do need to improve the rotation’s upside, and reports have indicated they want to add pitching this offseason with Imai. He brings a lot to the table with good stuff and multiple pitches, and I could see their pitching department there in Chicago having a lot of fun with him,”

Well, the talk about the Yankees being all-in on Imai might not be as real as it once sounded. As Curry suggests, the connection could be mostly smoke! For the Cubs, though, it’s a very different story.

Their interest appears to be very real. Chicago came into the offseason expected to prioritize pitching, and that’s exactly what they are doing now. For instance, they’ve added multiple relievers from the Rangers, brought back Shota Imanaga on the qualifying offer, and retained Caleb Thielbar. But the Cubs are still hunting for more!

That’s where Tatsuya Imai comes in!

He’s coming off a dominant season with a 1.92 ERA, a 0.892 WHIP, and 178 SOs over 163.2 innings, while issuing just 45 walks.

And with Kyle Tucker now off the roster, the Cubs have even more financial flexibility, and a projected $135 million deal for Imai feels like a move they should seriously push for. And the Yankees?

The same script of not pushing enough for a talent is getting repeated!

Imai would be the one the Dodgers need to face on the field

If you look at recent trends, it feels like just about every elite Japanese star has ended up in a Dodgers uniform. Be it Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the list goes on! And because of that, there aren’t many top Japanese talents the Dodgers actually have to face anymore.

This time, though, the script might be flipping.

Tatsuya Imai recently made it clear that he doesn’t see himself joining the Dodgers at all. “With the number of pitchers they already have, they don’t need me,” Imai said a few days ago. That statement alone breaks the usual pattern and explains why the Dodgers haven’t been a serious presence in the Imai sweepstakes.

But just because the Dodgers are out doesn’t mean Yankees fans are celebrating. For the Bleacher Creatures, it’s more frustration than relief. Whether you blame front-office sloppiness or payroll limitations, the Yankees once again appear to be letting a top Japanese arm slip away, eerily similar to how they missed out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto a few years back.