Brian Cashman’s awkward Yankees reveal may fuel Cubs’ Tatsuya Imai hopes

There's been an impression that the bidding for free-agent Japanese starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai would come down to the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. With the Yankees exploring trade possibilities for a cost-controlled starting pitcher, the sense has been that the Cubs may be sitting as the favorites between the two teams.

Aaron Boone may have added even more fuel to that fire. In speaking with reporters, Boone revealed that the Yankees have yet to meet with Imai, who was expected to start meeting with teams this week. Boone also added that, as of now, he didn't know if the Yankees were going to be meeting with the 27-year-old starting pitcher.

Of course, as with most things managers say during the offseason, Boone's words should be taken with a grain of salt. The Yankees' manager may be playing coy, but it would also go against the blueprint for New York's pursuit of Roki Sasaki last offseason. The Yankees' courting of Sasaki last winter was well-documented, and when asked about that comparison, Brian Cashman said it was due to the public nature of the process.

Yankees' strange Tatsuya Imai stance may further the Cubs' chances for Tatsuya Imai.

In fairness to Cashman and Boone, Imai's free agency hasn't had the same fanfare that Sasaki's did last offseason or Yoshinobu Yamamoto the year before that. That is partially tied to the fact that Imai does not have as high a ceiling as those two pitchers, and there are some questions over how impactful he will be right away. Most talent evaluators expect him to land a contract north of $100 million this offseason.

Imai's posting window closes on January 2, so if the Yankees haven't met with him yet and they are interested, one would think they would have a meeting scheduled by now. Again, it's entirely possible this is all a charade from the Yankees, but the lack of urgency does speak to what has been reported previously about New York's interest in Imai.

There hasn't been a concise report to suggest that the Cubs are zeroed in on Imai being their big addition to the rotation. Many believe that is the case, and explains why they have capped their bidding on other fronts, but some reports suggest that the Cubs don't view Imai as a pitcher they have to add this offseason.

It's worth pointing out that the Cubs are usually tight-lipped about these moves, so if they are the favorites, we likely won't know until a deal is finalized.