Aaron Boone wants to make one thing clear: he has a firm grasp on the New York Yankees‘ needs for the upcoming season, and that does not currently include a signed deal with Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai. The Yankees’ skipper recently shut down rumors of a supposed meeting with the right-hander, denying that any such sit-down has taken place.
Determined to keep speculation from spiraling, Boone offered a blunt “No” when asked point-blank if the team had met or even scheduled a session with Imai. The move appeared designed to dampen reports suggesting the Japanese star was on the verge of donning the pinstripes.
When pressed on whether he expected a meeting to happen soon, Boone simply replied, “I don’t know.” His comments suggest that even the manager remains in the dark regarding how close, or far, general manager Brian Cashman is to landing the pitcher, who has until early January to finalize a deal with an MLB club.
The countdown to january
If the Yankees or any other suitor hope to add Imai to their 2026 roster, they must act fast. The posting deadline for the former Saitama Seibu Lions standout is January 2. This marks the final cutoff for Imai to transition to the United States after a dominant career in Japan.
Imai is coming off a stellar 2025 campaign, posting a career-best 1.92 ERA. Since his professional debut in 2017, the right-hander has never exceeded 26 games per season, but this past year was arguably his most complete, leading the league with five complete games.
Agent Scott Boras hasn’t been shy about touting his client’s value this winter. “You have a 27-year-old pitcher who throws 98, 99,” Boras noted in December. “Teams look at that and say, ‘Believe me, in Imai’s wildest dreams, I never expected someone to be available like that.'”