Shōta Imanaga became an intriguing addition to the 2023-2024 MLB free agent class when he was posted by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in late November.
The left-hander is coming off a strong season that saw him go 7-4 with a 2.80 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 174 strikeouts in 148 innings pitched. He also pitched for Team Japan during the 2023 World Baseball Classic and started against the United States in the Gold Medal Game.
Imanaga has drawn widespread interest but was essentially in waiting mode while Yoshinobu Yamamoto went through the process of choosing his next team.
Now that Yamamoto is off the board, Imanaga’s market should pick up ahead of his January 11 deadline to sign with a team, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan:
His market will pick up this week, sources said, bringing another talented Japanese arm stateside.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets are among the teams that have been linked to Imanaga this offseason.
The Dodgers have already signed Yamamoto to a record-setting contract and acquired Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays, so it remains to be seen if Imanaga is still on their radar. The same can be said about the Red Sox, who recently added Lucas Giolito.
Imanaga is projected to receive a contract of five years worth around $17 million annually. The team that signs him will be required to pay the BayStars a posting fee that is equal to 20% of the contract’s first $25 million, 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any additional dollars.
Shōta Imanaga’s career with Yokohama DeNA BayStars
Imanaga was selected by the BayStars with the first pick in the 2015 NPB Draft. Over parts of eight seasons, he went 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 1,002.2 innings across 165 games.
He projects as more of a back-end starter and innings-eater at the Major League level than as a front-of-the-rotation pitcher, but he should be valuable regardless.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
