Yankees Scouting Japanese Talent

The Yankees have shown interest in Murakami, Okamoto, and Imai going into the offseason

Mar 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan first baseman Kazuma Okamoto (25) bats against the USA in the sixth inning at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees have been linked to multiple Japanese free agents going into the 2026 offseason. The Yankees have been removed from the Japanese market since signing Masahiro Tanaka, and it makes sense for the origin of Japanese talent to get back into the marker.

Munetaka Murakami

Image Credit: MLB.Com

Murakami is an experienced left-handed power hitter in the NPB. While the Yankees are interested in Murakami’s talents, I struggle to find his fit with the team. With Murakami’s defensive issues over the past few years, and overall offensive decline, he does not make sense for the landscape of the team. The Yankees have McMahon at third, a lefty power threat, and Rice, also a lefty power hitter, at first base.

Murakami looks like one of the top international bat-targets entering the market. It is projected that Murakami will receive a contact of about $200 million guaranteed over seven years.

Kazuma Okamoto

Yomiuri Giants star Kazuma Okamoto hits a sixth-inning home run against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars on April 9 at Yokohama Stadium. (©SANKEI)

Kazuma Okamoto would be almost a perfect fit for what the Yankees need. Okamoto is a utility player, specifically with the corner infield, that plays great defensively. Okamoto would be the perfect option to platoon with Rice and McMahon and not lose much on defense. Okamoto hit .379 vs. left-handers in 2025, something the Yankees could use in their lineup.

Okamoto is projected to receive a contract around 4 years at $90 million, with something, with a $20-25 million annual average value (AAV), possibly with a club option for year five.

Read more about Okamoto: https://lastwordonsports.com/baseball/2025/10/13/yomiuri-giants-expected-post-infielder-kazuma-okamoto/

Tatsuya Imai

Yakult Swallows third baseman Munetaka Murakami | Sports Nippon/GettyImages

Tatsuya Imai would be a really solid choice for a middle-of-the-rotation arm, with a much higher upside. He profiles as the type of pitcher who could immediately slot into a No. 3 role on a contender thanks to his command, pitch mix, and ability to miss bats — but his ceiling suggests he could quickly rise above that label. With a fastball that routinely sits in the mid-90s, a deep secondary arsenal, and the poise he showed in NPB, Imai brings the kind of raw stuff and competitive edge that teams covet in postseason environments.

While he may not arrive with the same hype as recent Japanese aces, his trajectory and age make him one of the more intriguing “upside bets” on the market — a pitcher who could outperform his contract if he adjusts smoothly. In the right development system, with MLB analytics behind him, it wouldn’t be surprising if Imai blossoms into a frontline-caliber starter instead of simply stabilizing the middle of a rotation.

Imai projects to receive a contract of about $160 million over 7 years, at an AAV of $22 million per season.

Read more about Imai here: https://lastwordonsports.com/baseball/2025/10/26/saitama-seibu-lions-to-post-emerging-star-pitcher-tatsuya-imai/