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Shota Imanaga remains the biggest unsigned Japanese name on the MLB free agency market. Although several teams remain steadfast in their pursuit of the flamethrower, at least one contender appears to be backing down.
On January 9, MLB analyst Jon Heyman revealed that he is hearing from sources that the San Francisco Giants are pulling out of the race for Shota Imanaga. Heyman's indications come just days after Jon Morosi wrote a piece for MLB.com linking the 30-year-old to the Bay Area.
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"Update: Hearing now Giants also looking elsewhere so they are not one of the 5 finalists" - Jon Heyman
Heyman's claims came just an hour after he stated that the Giants were a "top five contender" to ink Imanaga. The Los Angeles Angels, still reeling from Shohei Ohtani's departure, are another team that Heyman thinks have undergone a waning of interest.
A two-time All-Star, Shota Imanaga is regarded as one of the best pitchers in Japan's NPB. In 2023, Imanaga pitched 159 innings for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, posting a 2.66 ERA alongside a league-best 188 strikeouts. After being posted by the BayStars in late November, Imanaga has until January 11 to make his decision.
For the San Francisco Giants fans, the news will come as a hard blow. Fans got their hopes up about a potential deal with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who won the MVP Award in the Pacific League of NPB in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Yamamoto ultimately decided to ink a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a bitter divisional foe of the Giants.
"Shota Imanaga had the best starting pitcher Stuff+ in the WBC in 2023. According to @enosarris the day Imanaga gets to the big leagues he will have the most ride of any fastball" - Baseball Poster
After missing the postseason for the third time in four years, the Giants fired manager Gabe Kepler after the end of the season. With the exception of Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee's six-year deal, the Giants have been noticeably quiet this offseason. Critically, pitchers Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb are both expected to miss the first half of the 2024 season, casting further doubt on the team's pitching viability.
Shota Imanaga holds all the cards as posting deadline approaches
In his post, Heyman also claimed that the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs are still in the mix to sign Imanaga. With the January 11 deadline drawing ever-nearer, fans in both markets are desperate for news. As for Imanaga, his record of NPB excellence is well-known to all 30 MLB teams, and the offers are expected to be reflective of that.
