Yankees Offseason Notes: Starting Pitching Rumors

The Yankees offseason is now fully underway with the annual General Managers meetings concluded. While GM Brian Cashman was not in attendance, his highest lieutenants made sure the Yankees were well represented. Coming out of Vegas, the Yankees offseason needs have been made clear -- Outfielder, Starting Pitching and Relievers.

Michael King

Credit: MLB.Com

The Yankees will be looking at former Yankee Michael King in free agency. King was traded to the Padres in December 2023 as a key piece of the Juan Soto trade. In his first full season as a starter, King made 30 starts and established himself as a legitimate frontline arm. He posted a FIP around 3.10, a strikeout rate of 28%, and a WHIP near 1.10 over 173 innings. After an uneven start, he settled into form, limiting barrels and ranking among National League leaders in ground-ball rate and strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

King’s  2025 season, however, was disrupted by injuries, including a shoulder impingement and left knee inflammation, he was restricted to just 15 starts. Even so, King maintained strong underlying metrics. This included a 3.60 FIP, 26% strikeout rate, and 7% walk rate over 73 innings. This reinforced his value as one of the more analytically sound pitchers on the market when healthy.

King's contract projects to be a three-year deal in the $55–60 million range, around $18–20 million annually.

Tatsui Imai

Credit: Saitama Seibu Lions

The Yankees will be heavily pursuing Japanese right-hander Tatsui Imai, as I reported two weeks ago. If there is a target on this list I would go after, it would be Imai for a few reasons. The first, Imai has a really high upside, and while he will be a work in progress, it's worth it. The second, the Yankees have not signed a Japanese player in free agency from Japan since Masahiro Tanaka in the 2013-2014 offseason.

Imai posted a dominant 1.92 ERA across 162.2 innings in Japan in 2025. His arsenal—headlined by a lively mid-90s fastball, a late-breaking slider, and a polished changeup—translated into one of the most complete seasons among NPB starters.

Evaluators project Imai to fit comfortably as a middle-of-the-rotation arm in MLB, but with legitimate upside to become more. His strike-throwing consistency, durability, and ability to miss bats suggest that, with further refinement against big-league hitters, he could evolve into a high-end No. 3 or even a fringe No. 2 starter depending on the landing spot and developmental environment.

Ryan Yarbrough

Credit: MLB.Com

According to theNew York Daily News, the Yankees are showing interest in bringing back left-hander Ryan Yarbrough. In 2025, he was a valuable depth arm for them in 2025. Yarbrough delivered a solid campaign in a hybrid starter–reliever role, posting a 4.36 ERA across 64 innings. He was especially effective when inserted into the rotation, recording a 3.83 ERA in those starts. His pitch-to-contact style, versatility, and ability to provide bulk innings make him an appealing low-cost option as the Yankees look to fortify their pitching depth. With uncertainty surrounding parts of the rotation, bringing back Yarbrough offers the club a reliable, familiar arm who can stabilize innings and shift roles as needed.

Yarbrough would come in and be a stop gap in the Yankees rotation until Rodón or Cole return to the rotation, then transition into a long relief role in the bullpen.

Yarbrough would be a great addition, but should not be the sole addition to the rotation. If the Yankees added Yarbrough and one of the other two options, it allows for one of Warren or Gil to become expendable in trades to fix other issues on the roster.