The Yokohama BayStars of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball formally posted top left-hander Shota Imanaga for Major League clubs on Monday, per the Kyodo News. It’s been known for months that Imanaga would be posted for big league clubs, but the timing of the move wasn’t clear until last Wednesday, when MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that Imanaga would be posted today.
Once MLB approves the posting and notifies teams that Imanaga is indeed available (a formality), that will kick off a 45-day negotiation window. One week ago today, NPB’s Orix Buffaloes posted ace and reigning three-time Sawamura Award winner (NPB’s Cy Young equivalent) Yoshinobu Yamamoto for MLB clubs. His negotiation window officially commenced the following morning. Imanaga will likely follow an identical pattern, with his negotiation window formally opening Tuesday morning.
Imanaga, who turned 30 in September, just wrapped up a second straight season with a sub-3.00 ERA and his third in the past five seasons. He tossed 148 innings of 2.80 ERA ball for the BayStars in 2023, punching out 29.5% of his opponents against a sensational 3.8% walk rate. Since 2019, he’s posted a collective 2.79 earned run average, 26.2% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate. A 2022 no-hitter headlines that five-year run of excellence.
While he may not bet the unusually young power arm that his countryman Yamamoto is, Imanaga is nonetheless viewed as a potential mid-rotation starter in MLB. Back in September, MLBTR contributor Dai Takegami Podziewski noted that he’d added some life to his fastball and was sitting in the 92-93 mph range. He also has a splitter, curveball and cutter/slider, as examined in Brandon Tew’s breakdown of that 2022 no-hitter over at Sports Info Solutions
Any team that agrees to sign Imanaga will also be agreeing to pay a posting/release fee to the BayStars — the size of which is dependent on the size of Imanaga’s contract. In addition to the guaranteed money owed to the pitcher himself, his new team will need to pay a release fee equal to 20% of the contract’s first $25MM, plus 17.5% of the next $25MM and 15% of any dollars thereafter. MLBTR predicted a five-year, $85MM contract for the lefty, which would come with a $13.875MM release fee owed to the BayStars on top of the contract itself. Future club/player options and earnings unlocked via incentives/bonuses are also subject to that system (and, in this hypothetical instance, would come with a 15% fee owed to the Yokohama club).
To this point, Imanaga has been linked to several MLB clubs — most recently the Cubs but also the Dodgers and Red Sox. It stands to reason that virtually every mid- or large-market club with a need for pitching will have some degree of interest. Imanaga has been one of the steadiest performers in Japan for the better part of a half decade and has thus been heavily scouted by MLB teams for quite some time now. He’ll likely be on the radar for other bigger-spending teams like the Mets, Yankees, Cardinals, Giants, Angels and Blue Jays (to name a few) over the next six-plus weeks.
I like the potential in this guy. He’s seen his kwERA decline since 2018 to a dismal 2.31. His career number is 3.07 and add in the GB% it sits around 3.01. I hope he gets a chance to play in the MLB and show off his skills.
On the Cubs radar along with a couple of other Nippon starting pitchers including one who can also hit a bit. ⚾️
It would be very interesting to see three Japanese stars on one team.
The northside of Chicago could become the Farther East or maybe even Asia Major if they sign Ohtani and Yamamoto.
Yeah, makes sense to join the Cubs since every media outlet, Redditor and this says he wants to join a “winner.”
I’d like the Cubs to jump all over this signing. Him or Yamamoto but I think the bidding for Yamamoto will end up being out of control.
Imanaga won’t be as long of a commitment so I could see teams preferring him on a 4-5 year deal to Yamamoto.
Tigers
He fits in just about everywhere. Once the Yamamoto bidding reaches a certain level teams will
pivot his way.
Phillies should be all over this dude.
I rather try to sign Trevor Bauer tbh, besides he’s a great competitor.
Imanaga isn’t better than Nola or Wheeler and I prefer Ranger Suarez
If Bryce, JT, & Wheeler are on board with bringing Bauer in then I’m all for it. I value what those guys in particular think.
We don’t need anyone better than Nola or Wheeler, and I don’t think Bauer is better than either. Bauer is problematic in a few ways, but if he’s a fit and the clubhouse wants him, then sure, go for it. Imanaga as a 4th or 5th starter would be groovy. Bauer as a 3rd or 4th would be fine too.
I think Bauer’s stuff is better that Nola’s, although Nola is more durable and is a great guy for the clubhouse, but I wouldn’t be mad at all if we get Corbin Burnes, Dylan Cease or Shane Bieber on a trade, personally I would love to get Burnes.
But Bauer could be a great 3-4 man, and I prefer Bauer to Imanaga.
But Phillies focus should be adding 2 more arms to the Bullpen would love to see Jordan Hicks or Phill Matón and Josh Hader, I think Phillies needs to go with all to win the World Series with all the guys they have on their prime, this year losing game 4th was really costly
Cohen will sign Yamamoto and Imanaga to add to Senga as part of a six-man rotation. Good baseball and business move.
I think Ohtani and Yamamoto is a possibility for the Mets, as ridiculous as that sounds.
Snag him, Detroit.
DBacks should sign Imanaga and/or trade Jake McCarthy and a minor leaguer to the Rays for Spencer Turnbull. That would give them a decent rotation and bullpen. The team has a young and solid core and good prospects in the minors looking to move up too.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Detroit non tender Turnbull? He’s a FA.