The Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) officially posted Shōta Imanaga for free agency on Monday, and it was approved by Major League Baseball on Tuesday, opening his 45-day window to sign with an MLB club.
Teams have until 2 p.m. PT on Thursday, January 11, 2024 to sign him. The team that signs Imanaga will be required to pay DeNa 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.
With many teams in the market for at least two starting pitching, and more looking to add at least one starter, Imanaga should be a popular name in the coming weeks. The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly among the numerous teams that have expressed interest in Imanaga, whose list of interested clubs includes most contenders and large market teams.
He is projected to receive a deal around 5-years which could end up with an average annual value of around $20 million.
Imanaga was selected by the BayStars with the first pick in the 2015 NPB Draft and ended up going 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while striking out 1,021 and walking 280 over 1,002.2 innings in 165 games. He also had 13 complete games and seven shutouts over eight NPB seasons.
The recently-turned-30-year-old is coming off a strong season where he went 7-4 with a 2.80 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Imanaga also won the strikeout crown, finishing with 174 punchouts to only 24 walks while throwing 148 innings.
Imanaga represented Japan in the World Baseball Classic earlier this year and started in the Gold Medal Game against the United States.
During that start, the southpaw pitched two innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out two — Paul Goldschmidt and Cedric Mullins. His only run allowed was a home run to Trea Turner in the second inning.
Shōta Imanaga scouting report and potential role
Imanaga should slot into the middle of a rotation and relies on multiple pitches, including a mid-90s fastball, splitter, curveball and a cutter/slider hybrid.
His fastball has a high spin rate, averaging 2,566 rpm during the WBC, which is roughly 300 rpm over the average MLB fastball and bodes well for his ability to get strikeouts.
He may not develop into an ace, but he should be a quality pitcher for any rotation over the next few seasons.
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