The two Japanese players most MLB fans are talking about this offseason are Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ohtani has established himself as the best player on planet Earth and as one of, if not the best player we've ever seen. Yamamoto will be making the move from Japan to MLB hoping to prove himself. He will do so with the cushion of a deal that will pay him around or maybe even over $200 million.
While Yamamoto is the big Japanese pitching prize, fellow Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga has been getting plenty of hype himself, and for good reason. The southpaw might not have the stuff Yamamoto has and is also five years older, but he has a 2.96 career ERA in eight seasons in the NPB, and would fit in the middle of virtually any MLB rotation. He doesn't have Yamamoto's upside, but Imanaga should be a very solid MLB arm. He showed his potential in the WBC.
MLB Trade Rumors projects he'll earn a five-year deal worth around $85 million. This is rich enough to make him an important part of any rotation, but not at the level where small market teams that need pitching will immediately pass.
Imanaga would be a fit for a lot of teams, these five make the most sense.
5. New York Yankees
The New York Yankees will be one of several big market teams making a large attempt at landing Yamamoto in free agency. They've been linked to him all year long and will look to do something big after a disappointing 82-80 season. Let's say they don't get Yamamoto. Imanaga would still make them a whole lot better.
The rotation looked like it'd be a massive strength for New York entering the 2023 season, but outside of Gerrit Cole, it wound up being a disappointment thanks to injuries and underperformance. Cole will be the ace of the staff, but there are questions behind him that need to be answered.
Will Carlos Rodon bounce back? He spent most of the year sidelined with injury and struggled mightily when he was healthy. Can Nestor Cortes stay healthy? How will Michael King respond in a full season in the starting rotation? Is Clarke Schmidt reliable enough to be a starter in a rotation for a team trying to win a World Series?
Imanaga would slot somewhere in the middle of this rotation and provide stability to a group that needs it. Signing him instead of Yamamoto would allow New York to spend that money on other areas of need to help improve what in reality is an extremely flawed roster. Yamamoto should be their top target, but Imanaga wouldn't be a bad consolation prize whatsoever.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are another team expected to go big-name hunting this offseason but have plenty of holes to fill themselves. The biggest issue on the team without a doubt is their starting rotation. Outside of Bobby Miller, it's an absolute mess.
Walker Buehler should play a huge role in this Dodgers rotation, but who knows how productive or healthy he'll be coming off Tommy John Surgery? Can their young guys like Ryan Pepiot, Emmet Sheehan, or Michael Grove take a step? They might need them to.
Clayton Kershaw, Lance Lynn, and Julio Urias are all free agents. There's a good chance at least two of the three won't return. Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin are injured and expected to miss the entire 2024 season. We saw how bad the Dodgers rotation wound up being down the stretch, for Los Angeles to get back to being considered a postseason favorite, they'll need to land multiple starting pitchers.
Everyone knows the team will be doing whatever it can to bring Shohei Ohtani to Los Angeles, but even if they land Ohtani he can't pitch in 2024. Imanaga can and will do so at a cheaper figure than many frontline starters.
3. Boston Red Sox
New President of Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox, Craig Breslow, should have one goal this offseason. Revamp the rotation. Boston has an offense that's good enough to compete for a playoff spot, but Red Sox starters ranked 22nd in the majors with a 4.68 ERA. Only one team lower, the Reds, finished with a winning record and they didn't even make the playoffs.
We know Chris Sale (if healthy) will be asked to play a big role, but he's hard to trust now with all of the injuries he's dealt with in recent years. Brayan Bello showed some signs of being a great arm down the line, but he's still far from a finished product. Guys like Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck, and Kutter Crawford had decent moments for Boston in 2023 but have yet to prove they should be relied upon as consistent starters.
If they plan on competing, the Red Sox should be another team looking to bring in multiple starters. It's extremely unlikely Boston adds two starters on nine-figure deals, so adding one plus Imanaga could be a way to go.
The Red Sox are a team that can afford to take the risk on a guy like this in hopes that he turns into a frontline arm. Even if he's not, there's a good chance he's better than most of what they already have. With all of the help they need, it should be a no-brainer for Breslow to pursue him.
2. Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds shocked the baseball world by sticking in the playoff race until the bitter end. They didn't make it, but they weren't supposed to with the roster they had. Cincinnati finished with an 82-80 record, and a whole bunch of young players to be excited about. The problem is, almost all of these young players are position players.
The Reds do have arms that have shown promise in Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Graham Ashcraft, and Andrew Abbott, but don't have the veteran to help lead them to glory. They also finished with the 28th-best starting pitcher ERA in all of baseball this past season.
In a perfect world, Cincinnati would be after one of the bonafide aces available, but we know they're unlikely to spend that kind of money. A player like Imanaga who is projected to make just eight figures on his deal makes more sense for the small-market Reds. Imanaga would have the opportunity to grow alongside these young Reds but also brings experience as a guy who has pitched in big games before.
As long as Imanaga can keep the ball in the yard at Great American Ballpark he should be a very nice fit for a young Reds team ready to take the next step.
1. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks were even more surprising than the Reds, not only making the playoffs but winning the NL Pennant. They did this on the backs of a potent offense and an outstanding top three of their rotation in Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt.
As great as that trio is, Arizona has nothing to offer at the back end of the rotation. It was so bad to the point where the team started with a bullpen game in Game 4 of the NLCS and World Series. Adding a solid fourth arm like Imanaga feels like the perfect fit.
Arizona does not need to splurge on an ace as Gallen is one of the best pitchers in the National League. Kelly is an extremely strong second starter, and Pfaadt emerged as a big-time starter in the postseason after being considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball earlier in 2023.
Had Arizona had Imanaga in Game 4 of the World Series who knows how that whole series would've ended up finishing. He'd fill their biggest hole and do so in a big way. It's very possible a big market team outbids the Diamondbacks, but Arizona should do what it can to land this left-hander.