Analyzing Japanese free agents heading to MLB after Yankees declared interest

The Yankees have made one thing crystal clear during his offseason, they want to get back into the Japanese player market.

“Do I feel it would be good to have Japanese representation [on the Yankees]? Of course,” said owner Hal Steinbrenner on Monday. “We have in the past. We were very much in on [Yoshinobu] Yamamoto, as you know. It did not work out. …

“Representation of Japanese players [on the Yankees], yes, that’s an important thing. …”Baseball is king in Japan. A lot of Japanese fans here in the U.S. would love to see [a player play for the Yankees]. We’ve tried and we’ll continue to try.”

General manager Brian Cashman even added — while speaking at the GM meetings in November — that the Bombers’ success in the Japanese player market is “too long gone,” as they haven’t landed one of the big prizes since Masahiro Tanaka back in 2014.

However, there is a crop of Japanese stars that are set to hit the open market after being posted by their Nippon Professional Baseball clubs. Here’s a look at the top players coming over from Japan:

Imai is the clear top free agent on the international market.

The right-handed pitcher boasted a 1.92 ERA in 24 games during his 2025 NPB season and he has an attitude that may fit the bill for success in New York.

In a recent interview, Imai expressed a desire to beat the Dodgers rather than join them. He also expressed interest in being the lone Japanese presence on a team.

The 27-year-old features a fastball that sits in the mid-90’s but can reach up to 99. His slider and splitter are his swing-and-miss pitches. If the Yankees are going to get on the board with a Japanese signing this offseason, Imai may be the most likely target.

Murakami was expected to be the big prize for the 2025 offseason, however, a few down seasons in NPB puts his status in question.

After an impressive run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, coming off a 56-homer season, Murakami hasn’t surpassed 33 homers in any of the following seasons with incredibly concerning strikeout numbers — 180 K’s in 143 games during 2024.

Murakami also had a .095 batting average against pitches 93 mph or harder last season in NPB.

The 25-year-old will likely be seen as more of a project signing as opposed to the slam dunk he was anticipated to be.

Okamoto fits a profile that may interest the Yankees. The first baseman slashed .327/.411/.581 with 15 homers and 49 RBI in 77 games this season.

The 29-year-old right-handed hitter could balance a left-handed-heavy Bombers lineup.

The Yomiyuri Giants captain is touted for his excellent plate discipline and contact-oriented approach — with some room for power as well.

It remains to be seen which direction the Yankees go in to improve their lineup, however, Okamoto could be a cost-efficient option to shuffle the cards for a lineup that is in need of a bit of a new look towards the bottom.