Japanese Lefty Shōta Imanaga Will Be Posted This Offseason

The Yokohama DeNA BayStars will post left-handed pitcher Shōta Imanaga this offseason, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported. 

After he is posted, he will be free to negotiate a contract with all 30 MLB teams. The team that signs him must also pay a fee to the BayStars.

Japanese newspaper Sponichi reported that the Mets were among seven teams with scouts at one of Imanaga’s starts in June. He allowed one earned run in a 126-pitch complete game.

Imanaga, who just turned 30 years old on Sept. 1, has a 2.57 ERA in 133 ⅓ innings this year. It is the fourth time his ERA has been under three in the last five seasons, with the shortened 2020 season being the only time it was not. He has a 0.945 WHIP, 10.5 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9, all of which are either career bests or second-bests. Among qualified MLB pitchers this season, his BB/9 would rank third, just behind George Kirby and Zach Eflin. 

Per @Beisbol108 on X, his fastball has averaged 91.7 mph, his cutter at 86.7 mph, the slider and split-change low-80s and the curveball low-70s. He usually utilizes the cutter and slider against lefties and the split against righties.

Imanaga pitched in three games at the World Baseball Classic and gave up two earned runs in six innings. Most notably, he was the starting and winning pitcher for Team Japan in the WBC Final. He threw two innings and gave up one earned run on a solo homer to Trea Turner in the second. In his two innings, he gave up hits to Turner, Mike Trout, J.T. Realmuto and Tim Anderson while striking out Paul Goldschmidt and Cedric Mullins.

Eno Sarris of The Athletic tweeted following the WBC that Imanaga had the highest Stuff+ of any pitcher in the tournament (minimum 28 pitches per appearance), right ahead of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Imanaga joins Yamamoto, who is expected to be posted by the Orix Buffaloes this offseason as well, as two of the more sought-after free agent starting pitchers who will not be attached to a qualifying offer. Yamamoto, who will be 25 years old for most of next season, has a 1.28 ERA in 141 innings this season and is on his way to his third-straight Eiji Sawamura Award, which is awarded to the top pitcher in the NPB each year. The Mets are expected to have strong interest in Yamamoto, and Kodai Senga has already talked about recruiting the young Japanese right-hander. 

Currently, only Kodai Senga and José Quintana are locks for the Mets starting rotation in 2024. Adding one of Yamamoto or Imanaga — or both — would make a lot of sense, especially with Billy Eppler’s well-documented history of signing players from Japan.

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