A day after missing out on outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, the Los Angeles Angels might find themselves as runners-up once again.
The Shota Imanaga sweepstakes are coming to a close, and the Angels are not reportedly the favorites to sign him. According to the terms of the posting agreement between MLB and NPB, the top league in Japan, Imanaga has a 45-day posting window to negotiate a contract. That window expires Thursday.
Before the final week, it was said that the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Angels were the top contenders for Imanaga. As of right now, the Giants are leading contenders for the Japanese left-hand pitcher, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
“Everything points towards the Giants,” the insider stated. “Even though Imanaga isn’t on the same level as those guys, they don’t want to miss out again on [Shohei] Ohtani and [Yoshinobu] Yamamoto.”
Imanaga, who pitched for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars last season, was 7-5 with a 2.66 ERA and 188 strikeouts in 159 innings. He is coming off a successful season.
Imanaga’s final contract year is approaching, so Perry Minasian, general manager, would be even more hurt if he were to lose out.
The Angels should prioritise starting pitching above all else, even though they have needs in the outfield. This season will mark the team’s first in six years without two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
The Angels are reportedly also in the hunt for left-handed starter Blake Snell. Losing out on Imanaga would only further the Angels’ need to strike a deal with a front-of-the-rotation starter. Besides Snell, Imanaga, and Jordan Montgomery, few remain on the free agent market.
The only thing for certain in the Imanaga sweepstakes: it won’t last much longer.
Leave a Reply