The Red Sox might have missed out on signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, however they reportedly nonetheless have a shot at one other Japanese standout.
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Red Sox are amongst 4 finalists for the 30-year-old left-hander, the others being the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants. Imanaga is anticipated to signal with an MLB workforce by January 11, when his 45-day posting window expires.
Shota Imanaga finalists are the #RedSox #Cubs #Angels #Giants in accordance with sources.
— Jim Bowden⚾️🏈 (@JimBowdenGM) January 5, 2024
A longtime member of the Yokohama Bay Stars, Imanaga has posted a 3.18 ERA over eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, together with a sub-3.00 ERA in every of the final three seasons. This previous season Imanaga posted a 2.66 ERA with a career-high 188 strikeouts over 159 innings, and he was additionally a member of the World Baseball Classic champion Samurai Japan workforce.
Though not as younger or as extremely thought to be Yamamoto, Imanaga remains to be seen by scouts as a difference-maker in MLB who might instantly step in as a mid-rotation arm. According to Baseball America he boasts a fastball that touches mid-90s and an above-average splitter, although his success in MLB might hinge on the event of his slider.
If Imanaga does signal with Boston, he can be the second main beginning rotation pickup of the offseason, becoming a member of former Chicago White Sox righty Lucas Giolito. The Red Sox are additionally believed to be concentrating on rotation assist through commerce, and earlier Friday Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Boston is among the many golf equipment in on White Sox ace Dylan Cease.
Source: www.bostonherald.com