Red Sox, Yankees In Crowded Market For 99-MPH Flamethrower

The Boston Red Sox already have added one much-needed starting pitcher, but could they have another move up their sleeve?

It's possible. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe alluded to the fact that adding another starting pitcher is a possibility for Boston this offseason.

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"That said, part of Breslow’s hesitance to proclaim Gray as a No. 2 starter was because the Sox might acquire another starter this offseason who would slot in front of him," Speier wrote "For now, aside from Garrett Crochet as the team’s true No. 1, the rest of the starter designations are subject to change — potentially including Gray’s."

The Red Sox should add one more starter this offseason

May 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; A Boston Red Sox hat and glove sit in the dug out before a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

If the Red Sox are going to add another piece, who could be an option? Well, Jim Bowden of The Athletic said that the Red Sox have been one of the teams "most linked" to Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai, along with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and the San Francisco Giants.

"Imai is only 27 and has been dominant in Japan," Bowden wrote. "There are some teams that are wary of his small frame (he’s listed at 5-foot-11, 154 pounds) but with so many examples of that frame working — from Yoshinobu Yamamoto to Pedro Martínez to Tim Lincecum — it seems like a dated viewpoint. Imai’s throwing motion gets solid downward plane, and he has tremendous late movement on his secondary pitches.

"His fastball velocity averages 99 mph with carry, his slider and splitter are both wipeout offerings and he projects as No. 2-type starter. The only question is command and control and signing with the team that has the best pitching room and technology group will likely benefit him greatly. The teams most linked to him so far have been the Padres, Rangers, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, and Cubs. At the outset of this offseason, most in the industry believed he would end up with the Giants, but the Giants have indicated that they are out on Imai and other similarly priced free agents."

Imai is someone who would move the needle, for sure. He's just 27 years old, has explosive stuff, and was dominant in Nippon Professional Baseball. Look at his 2025 campaign, for example. Imai made 24 starts for the Saitama Seibu Lions and had a 1.92 ERA and 178-to-45 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 163 2/3 innings pitched. He hasn't finished a season with an ERA above 2.45 since 2021 as a 23-year-old.

The Yankees have been one of the teams consistently linked to Imai throughout the offseason so far. If Boston wants the young starter, clearly it's going to have to go through some tough opponents. Boston has signed a Seibu Lion before and fans may remember him. Way back ahead of the 2007 season, the Red Sox signed another star: Daisuke Matsuzaka. Could history repeat itself?

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