The New York Yankees’ starting rotation is remarkably strong heading into next season, or at least it will be if everyone is able to recover from their surgeries and get back to peak condition. At the moment, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón are expected to miss at least the beginning of next season as they recover from Tommy John surgery (or in Rodón’s case, surgery to shave down a bone spur and remove loose bodies), and they are 35 and 32 years old, respectively.
Max Fried, though younger than both Cole and Rodón, will also be 32 come next season. Fried was lucky in his first season in pinstripes to avoid any major injuries, but the starting rotation could likely use one more experienced, but less injured, arm in the meantime. That arm might be free agent Tatsuya Imai.
Empire Sports Media’s Ryan Garcia named Imai as a strong possibility given his most recent season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of the Nippon League, where the 27-year-old logged a Skenes-ian 1.92 ERA in 24 starts with a 10-5 record. Imai could round out the younger cohort with Cam Schlittler (24) and Will Warren (26) while the tried and true arms take their time recovering.
“Japan’s top starter this past season, [Imai] could be posted and provide the Yankees with both a remedy to their rotation issues and a way to get back into the Japanese market,” Garcia wrote. “The already-existing pitch mix that Tatsuya Imai has is intriguing, sporting a four-seamer that generates better-than-average vertical movement from his 5’0 release height.”
Oct 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) throws in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game two of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images / Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
“You can expect that ride to go from above-average to about average when he goes from using an NPB ball to an MLB one since it’s a little larger and happens to be slicker, making it harder to spin. Imai’s fastball sits at 95 MPH, but he can run it up to 99 MPH when needed, as he tends to use his velocity when he absolutely needs it, similar to Max Fried.”
Nov 3, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) holds the arm of pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) as shortstop Mookie Betts (50) and pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) look on during the World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
He makes sense with this rotation, and the Yankees’ have been widely criticized for failing to meet the moment with the Japanese market. This year, the Los Angeles Dodgers walked away with another World Series win, largely on the backs of some of the best Japanese stars in the MLB, including almost-certain NL MVP Shohei Ohtani and World Series MVP and superstar starting pitcher Yoshi Yamamoto, among others. It is long past time the Yankees started investing in the best of the best from Japan, and Imai might be their ideal starting place.
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