Yankees and Cubs among teams scouting NPB pitcher Kaima Taira

The New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs, along with six other MLB teams, are showing interest in Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher Kaima Taira. Taira recently delivered 7 shutout innings with 9 strikeouts for the Saitama Seibu Lions, averaging 97.3 mph on his fastball. He has a 1.46 ERA in 19 games this season and is a four-time All-Star. Taira, who was converted to a starting pitcher this season after previous success as a closer, could transition to MLB if posted by the Lions. Scouts were in attendance for his recent start, indicating significant interest from major teams ahead of the potential 2026-27 MLB offseason.

• 6:28 PMYahoo Sports — Yankees, Cubs among 8 teams with interest in hard-throwing NPB ace