The Red Sox face a deadline — and clarity — on another one of their rumored free agent targets later this week. And barring a last-minute surprise, Boston’s pursuit is expected to fall short.
Boston is considered a “long shot” to sign Japanese left-hander Shōta Imanaga before his deadline to sign with a major league club Thursday (Jan. 11), according to a source with knowledge of discussions between the sides. It’s unclear exactly how aggressive the Red Sox have been with Imanaga, who is considered one of the top three free agent starters left on the market and must pick a new team by 5 p.m. ET on Thursday. But unless something changes in the coming days, the southpaw is expected to sign elsewhere.
On Friday, The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported the Red Sox were “lurking in Imanaga’s free agency rather than as one of the most involved teams.”
A source said earlier Monday that multiple teams remain interested in the mix for Imanaga. The Angels, Giants, Cubs and Mets have been linked to him, along with the Red Sox, for weeks. On Monday, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand pegged San Francisco — one of the teams that missed out on fellow top Japanese starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto this winter — as the favorite to sign Imanaga. It’s unclear if Imanaga has a preference to pitch on the west coast.
Imanaga, 30, was posted by the Yokohama Bay Stars on Nov. 27, opening a 30-day window for teams to sign him. While the lefty is not expected to command a deal close to the 12-year, $325 million contract Yoshinobu Yamamoto received from the Dodgers late last month, he’s still considering an intriguing mid-rotation option who may get more than $100 million on the open market. MLBTradeRumors ranked Imanaga as the No. 10 free agent on this year’s market at the outset of the winter.
The Red Sox, as MassLive’s Sean McAdam reported, heavily scouted Imanaga, who led Nippon Professional Baseball with 174 strikeouts in 2023. For a team that has yet to make major improvements to its starting rotation this winter (Boston signed Lucas Giolito while trading away Chris Sale), Imanaga was thought to be a logical fit. Speier previously reported that Boston was impressed with the left-hander’s pitch metrics despite the fact he’s undersized (5-foot-10) and has a fastball that usually sits in the 92-92 mph range.
“He’s an undersized lefty who can really throw strikes,” said the evaluator. “He has a plan out there on the mound. He’s not overpowering but I think his strike-throwing and feel to pitch are really his strengths. The (four-seamer) fastball plays. It’s got ride to it, and it’s also got some spin to it. He’s got the ability to got some swing-and-miss with it, even though it’s not overpowering. He can locate it, move it around the zone and keep it away from the barrel.
“I would say his next best pitch would be his split-change. Hitters don’t see that over here as much, and he can throw it to both lefties and righties. After that he has a slider which he throws to lefties, and a curve.
“I see him as a back of the rotation guy. He’s a strike-thrower, but when it comes down to just the quality of the pitches, that gives me a little pause. And the durability.”
