NY Yankees, Cubs and other teams warned as deadline nears in MLB pursuit of Tatsuya Imai, Okamoto and Takahashi

The New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs are among the MLB teams closely monitoring Tatsuya Imai, as the posting window for the highly regarded Japanese right-hander continues to draw attention across the league. Imai has emerged as one of the most intriguing arms available from Japan.

Imai’s posting deadline is set for January 2, 2026, at 5:00 PM, according to Dan Bartels of the New York Post, a date that is quickly becoming a focal point. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said a few days ago that New York has not yet held a meeting with Imai. The Cubs, however, appear to be further along in the process and are currently viewed as the front-runners, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.

Other Japanese stars on the market are operating on slightly different timelines. Kazuma Okamoto, the slugging corner infielder linked primarily to the Pittsburgh Pirates, has a posting deadline of January 4, 2026, at 5:00 PM. Right-hander Kona Takahashi, who has drawn interest from the Houston Astros and some from the Cubs, shares that same January 4 deadline.

Imai drawing close interest from the Cubs

With the deadline dates now known for Okamoto, Takahashi, and Imai, it is likely that several teams will accelerate their efforts in the final days of December. So far, however, the team most closely linked to landing one of the Japanese pitchers appears to be the Cubs, at least according to the report from Mooney.

“Meanwhile, evaluators have questions about whether Imai is more of a middle or back of the rotation starter than a budding ace, and how to value the Japanese pitcher’s first major league contract in that context,” Mooney wrote in his article for The Athletic.

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NY Yankees announce player transfer to Tatsuya Imai’s former team in Japan

The Yankees have not completely exited the conversation around Imai. In an article by Jake Misener for Cubbies Crib, it was noted that Imai may prefer a team like the Yankees. “A new leak suggests [@yankeesource on X] Imai may prefer to play for a team on the coast rather than a Midwest club like the Cubs, something we’ve seen before with players making the jump from overseas,” Misener wrote.