Mets Could Turn Attention to Another Japanese Starter This Offseason
The New York Mets were dealt a tough blow when their No. 1 target, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers instead of them, despite being offered identical contracts.
This offseason has been different from how the franchise has operated in the past, being much more calculated about their moves and not throwing massive amounts of money at every high-profile free agent.
They reportedly are viewing 2024 as a bridge year before looking to contend in 2025.
New York isn't expected to pursue the other elite free agent pitchers on the market like Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery, but they could turn their focus to another Japanese starting pitcher, Shota Imanaga.
Because of all the attention that Yamamoto received, the left-handed Imanaga has received far less attention, despite being an elite starter in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
He has a career ERA of 3.18 across 165 starts and over 1,000 innings pitched.
The lefty is also expected to garner a much cheaper contract than what Yamamoto just received, which could entice the Mets to pursue him as a rotation option for their future.
His projected annual average value is anywhere from roughly $12 million to $15 million over the course of five years.
According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, the 30-year-old is now fielding offers and is expected to visit with MLB teams in the new year.
Pairing Imanaga with New York's current ace, Kodai Senga, would be a massive upgrade for what they are expecting to have heading into 2024.
This situation will be one to monitor as the Mets could turn their attention, once again, to the pursuit of a Japanese starting pitcher looking to move into Major League Baseball.
