Imanaga is fresh off his eighth season with the Yokohama Bay Stars, and he was dominant once again in the 2023 for the club (7-5, 2.66 ERA, 188 K, 1.02 WHIP). After turning 30 back in September, Imanaga’s career in the MLB will be getting off to a bit of a delayed start, but he figures to be a very popular free agent target given how good he has been recently for the Bay Stars, and the announcement of his posting for the MLB is expected to be made next week.
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Imanaga has already made a great first impression on the MLB stars he faced during his time with Japan at the World Baseball Classic, and his numbers in 2023 certainly won’t dissuade teams from pursuing him. He doesn’t necessarily have the upside of a guy like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is widely regarded as the best player coming over from Japan this offseason, but Imanaga profiles as a solid middle of the rotation starter who could be a huge help for a playoff contender.
With his posting set to be announced soon, teams that were already planning on making a move for Imanaga can now really set their sights on the talented starter. Imanaga will surely have a big market for his services this offseason, and it will be worth keeping an eye on free agency to see which teams he lands with as he makes the jump to the MLB.
Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints, who also covers the NBA and MLB. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management, ran his own website, and had bylines at FanSided and the Basketball Network.
