Japanese Pitcher Shōta Imanaga Set to Be Posted, Enter MLB Free Agency Monday

The Yokohama DeNA BayStars have agreed to post starting pitcher Shōta Imanaga, general manager Ryota Hagiwara told reporters Saturday. According to The New York Post's Jon Heyman, Imanaga is expected to officially hit MLB free agency Monday.

Reports first surfaced about Imanaga coming to MLB in early September.

Once he hits the open market on Monday, Imanaga and his representatives will have 45 days to negotiate with potential suitors. If he is unable to ink a contract in that time, Imanaga will return to Yokohama for another season, but he would not be subject to the posting system again come November 2024.

Imanaga has spent the last eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, and he pitched for Team Japan at the World Baseball Classic back in March. Imanaga started the championship game against Team USA, picking up the win after tossing 2.0 innings and allowing one earned run.

The 30-year-old left-hander went 7-5 with a 2.66 ERA, 1.019 WHIP and 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings in 24 appearances this season. Over the course of his professional career – which dates back to 2016 – Imanaga is 74-55 with a 2.96 ERA, 1.076 WHIP and 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

Imanaga has a fastball, changeup, curveball and slider in his repertoire.

Shota Imanaga is expected to be posted Monday, allowing him to sign as an MLB free agent. Imanaga, an All-Star for the Yokohama Bay Stars, is the lefty known for his changeup and command who won the championship clinching game for Japan over Team USA in the WBC.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 11, 2023

Imanaga and 2020 NL Cy Young Trevor Bauer led Yokohama's starting rotation this season, powering the team to the fourth-best record in all of NPB. Both pitchers made the All-Star Game in July, and both are trying to pitch in the majors next year.

International players over the age of 25 who have played nine or more professional seasons are not subject to the posting system, but Imanaga has only played eight seasons to this point.

As a result, the BayStars will receive a cut of whatever deal Imanaga gets from an MLB team. Yokohama will earn a release fee of 20% of Imanaga's contract if it less than $25 million, $5 million plus 17.5% of the amount over $25 million if it is between $25 million and $50 million, or $9.275 million plus 15% of the amount over $50 million if it exceeds that figure.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand mentioned the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners as potential fits for Imanaga. According to Yakyu Cosmopolitan, the Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays had scouts in attendance at one of Imanaga's starts in June.

Feinsand ranked Imanaga as the No. 7 starting pitcher and No. 15 overall player on the free agent market this offseason.

Like Imanaga, fellow Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto will also be posted to MLB free agency this winter. Yamamoto is widely seen as the top righty on the market.

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