The Winter Meetings are coming up, which means MLB free agency is about to take off. Another strong group of Japanese free agents is joining the league this year, including a highly regarded pitcher . Tatsuya Imai may join one of three East Coast powerhouses, the New York Mets , the New York Yankees , and the Philadelphia Phillies , per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

“Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai could wind up with a big-market team on the East Coast, and the New York Yankees — with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon expected to miss the start of the season — New York Mets and Philadelphia are reasonable landing spots,” Passan reported.

The Yankees have pitching injuries to manage in the first half of the 2026 season . Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt will not be ready for

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