The baseball world is eagerly awaiting the next big free-agent signing, with notable names such as Blake Snell, Josh Hader, Cody Bellinger, and Matt Chapman still available. However, another prominent free agent is expected to come off the board by Thursday: Shōta Imanaga.
Imanaga, a Japanese left-hander, is set to see his posting period expire on Thursday at 5 p.m. ET. This means that if he plans to make the move to Major League Baseball, he must sign with a club prior to that deadline.
According to sources, the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels are the finalists for Imanaga. However, the Giants may be emerging as the favorite to land the left-handed pitcher.
“It’s all pointing to the Giants,” a source revealed. “They missed out on [Shohei] Ohtani and [Yoshinobu] Yamamoto, and although Imanaga isn’t on the same level as those guys, they don’t want to miss out again.”
Imanaga is expected to command more than the five-year, $75 million deal that Kodai Senga signed with the Mets last offseason, but less than what Snell or Jordan Montgomery are expected to receive.
The Giants’ president of baseball operations, Farhan Zaidi, confirmed that the club has been in talks with Imanaga’s representatives, praising the lefty for his performance in the Nippon Professional Baseball.
However, the Angels, who are in greater need of a starting pitcher, and the Red Sox, who recently traded Chris Sale and signed Lucas Giolito, are also in contention for Imanaga. Additionally, the Mets, who had success with Senga in his rookie season, are actively seeking more starting pitching.
Imanaga has an impressive career record of 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA in 165 games in Nippon Professional Baseball. Last season, he posted a 2.66 ERA in 24 starts and helped Team Japan to the World Baseball Classic title.
With the deadline fast approaching, all eyes are on where Shōta Imanaga will land in the major leagues.