Shota Imanaga Rumors: Dodgers not among the four 'finalists' for coveted Japanese pitcher, per MLB insider

Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga, ideally nicknamed "The Throwing Philosopher," is one of the biggest storylines in early 2024.

While four teams are rumored to be zeroing in on the ace, others, like the New York Yankees, appear to be out. Another franchise seemingly not interested is the Los Angeles Dodgers, which may come as a surprise given their trend of winter activities.

MLB insider Jim Bowden tweeted an update on who remains in the hunt for Shota Imanaga, and the Dodgers were not among the final four:

"Shota Imanaga finalists are the #RedSox #Cubs #Angels #Giants according to sources."

With the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, LA Angels and San Francisco Giants the leading teams for Imanaga, it will be interesting to see who lands him.

While Imanaga is an incredibly talented pitcher, the consensus is that he's some way off Yoshinobu Yamamoto. That, and the potential of a bidding war ensuing, is likely why the Dodgers and Yankees are not pursuing the 30-year-old.

NJ.com's Randy Miller reports that the Yankees believe Imanaga is "a flyball pitcher who wouldn't be a fit for Yankee Stadium," and the concern of overpaying to land him is real.

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Contract expectations and rumors for Shota Imanaga

With four teams interested in his signature, Shota Imanaga does have significant leverage when it comes to his contract demands. While a bidding war is potentially ensuing as these teams look to bolster their 2024 rosters, there's a ceiling on any deal.

According to The Athletic, Imanaga could receive a contract of around $100 million, and a decision could be coming soon. With his 45-day posting window set to expire on Jan. 11, Imanaga will have to sign for an MLB team or return to the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan.

With the Red Sox under pressure from fans to make improvements to the team, it's not surprising that they are among the finalists for Imanaga. As the Cubs, Giants and Angels all lost out this winter, in terms of targets and players who left, they will all be intent on not letting Imanaga slip away too.