Latest Tatsuya Imai update throws bizarre wrench in Yankees' sleepy pursuit

They called Jack Curry a madman because he told them what they didn't want to hear: the Yankees and right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai didn't have "a connection," and fans shouldn't count on New York being his ultimate landing spot. With just four days to go before Imai's signing deadline (Jan. 2), the right-hander's lack of connection to the Yankees makes a bit more sense now than it did when Curry first dropped the bomb on a group of frustrated fans hungry for action.

The Yankees, along with the Cubs, were considered the nebulous "favorites" for Imai throughout the month of December, even as Curry raged against the burbling reports. When he denied that the two sides were moving closer (or likely to ever consummate something important), fans responded by questioning his credentials and arguing that there must be some mistake. After all, how could the Yankees logically pass on paying $25 million per year to a fourth starting pitcher in an effort to temporarily patch their injured rotation?

With the clock ticking louder than ever these days, it seems fair to continue to count the Yankees out, but their apparent disinterest now seems a little less alarming than it did mid-month. According to Imai, he's had plenty of conversations with interested MLB teams, but doesn't have a concrete "offer" to mull from anyone just yet.

Again, this is four days before he needs to either sign stateside or return to his native Japan with his tail somewhat between his legs.

Rumored Yankees target Tatsuya Imai's market entirely unclear just four days before signing deadline

“Apparently, there actually aren’t many concrete options on the table yet. And it seems that having teams show interest and receiving a formal offer are completely different things," Imai reportedly communicated on TV Asahi’s “Udo Times” program.

Imai might not have the ceiling of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but many fans stateside have decided he's the second-best starting pitcher in this year's free agent class, even with limited to no eyewitness experience analyzing him. While it's still overwhelmingly likely that he does land a deal with one of the teams that he's been connected to — Mets, Phillies, Cubs — this molasses market doesn't jive with the way American fans have hyped his mysterious market throughout the process.

Oddly, this silent market could increase the Yankees' odds of tripping into a bargain here — but, still, it feels safer to believe Curry than battle him on this issue. Especially if nobody seems to have the vaunted "connection" to Imai yet, with mere days remaining 'til his deadline.