Shota Imanaga is the next big name emerging from the Japanese baseball market. Well, after Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto put pen to paper with the Los Angeles Dodgers, this ace’s free agency decision might be on the fast lane. Does this mean that other free agents, will have a new home as early as New Year’s?

While super agent Scott Boras waited for the Yamamoto deal to complete, in order to fast-track the postings of Blake Snell and Jordam Montgomery, maybe it is time to hasten his steps. Agents and teams with available pitchers have waited enough. But isn’t it about time, considering that “Shōta Imanaga is now planning on coming to the US *after* the new year”?

Will Scott Boras Have a Plan for His Clients by the New Year?

Given that numerous teams were willing to spend heftily on Yoshi, agent Scott Boras chose to slowly scout potential future teams for his left-handed pitchers, Snell and Montgomery. Octagon, which represents Imanaga, had the Yokohama DeNA BayStars strategically post the lefty nearly a week after Yamamoto. The intention behind this was to benefit from the urgency that teams who missed their desired pitchers would feel. Doesn’t this stand true by Game of Thrones’ famous line, “Chaos is a ladder”? 

Having said that, it’s important to note that Snell is one of the most sought after free agents. He is a two-time Cy Young Award winner and his ability to perform at the level of an ace is undoubted. He has an exceptional prowess to strike out batters. The best validation is from his 32 percent strikeout rate in 2023, that ranked as the second-highest among eligible starting pitchers of MLB. However, there have been setbacks. His walk rate is considerably high. While his overall statistics remained commendable, they didn’t match his impressive figures of 2023.

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Jordan ‘Monty’ Montgomery’s projected statistics didn’t quite reach his real performance in 2023 either. Since this does not align with his overall career trajectory it’s indicative of the fact that he could be more of a second or third starter rather than a top-tier ace. Nevertheless, the 30-year-old is set to secure a lucrative contract, spanning five or six years at the pinnacle of the market value. Will it be the New York Mets, New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox? Well, Boras has some work to do. 

What Makes Shota Imanaga Such a Big Deal?

As far as Shota Imananga goes, the clubs which were forerunners for Yamamoto are the ones eyeing him too. ‘The Throwing Philosopher’, whose posting window remains open till January 11 is expected to visit the US by new years. Reports say that he could use Eduardo Rodriguez’s $80 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks as a navigation point. 

Read More : Will the New York Yankees Seal a Shota Imanaga Deal, or Are They Due for Another Disappointment?

What makes the recently turned 30-year-old is that he could be a No. 3 or No. 4 starter. Despite his modest velocity of 92-93 mph he has displays qualities on the pitch such as the elite ride that indicates it can miss bats in the strike zone. He also has the ability to calibrate with his slider while also turning it into a cutter occasionally. Also his command is unquestioned.