Sign Shota Imanaga!

18 comments

1. Imanaga would slot in as a very solid 3rd or 4th starter depending on how Buehler looks coming back. Left handed and obviously has experience playing with Shohei and Yoshinobu

2. In this market he’s probably looking at 20-22m a year. He’d be our 4th starter after Yammy, Glasnow, and Miller. I guess I just have a hard time imagining we spend that much on a 4/5 guy.

3. Dam, why you got to do Shota bad and make him Sakura lmao

4. If we want a lefty with upside then maybe Paxton? I don’t think we need to put that much money into a #4 starter

5. Jokes aside, they should limit the next round of pitchers to less than 5 years and a lot less money, The majority of Japanese players that want to join the Dodgers is because he’s a captain, a unicorn and knows these types of pitchers care more about winning than money. Also need to budget for 2025 and 2026

   Keep in mind, Yankees offered more money but Yamamoto said no. And extra $50M won’t make a difference when you leave the MLB as a player that never wins a championship. Japanese media did a whole sob story on Ichiro and Darvish like he wasted his life and they will only remember him as another good player in a bad team. Being on a good team and winning is more important than being famous, better solo player, richer, and worshipped.

6. I was looking into this guy a bit more and Imanaga has 10 pitches including 3 different splitters, 2 fastballs, and 2 sliders. He also has a curveball, a change up, and a cutter. Not bad.

   That being said, I bet if he goes to the dodgers, they will probably tell him to ditch some of these pitches. Still, he’s gonna have a deep arsenal to work with which is fun to watch.

7. Don’t think it’s happening

8. Other teams are hoping to sign him to be their number 2 starter. The fact that he would be our 3/4 starter isn’t an indictment on him but rather our starting rotation’s front half being elite

9. Why can’t we just get a new coah

10. Yes. Also. Sign Kershaw.

11. No

12. If he takes a 1 year deal, sure

13. I don’t think we land shota unless he absolutely forces himself onto the team. I think the FO is already locked in for Roki

14. I have lived in Japan most of my lifetime. So I have mainly followed the NPB and hardly know about the MLB. I’m curious why Imanaga is so highly rated in the US. I’ve seen various reports that several teams are interested. I’ve also seen multiple posts and comments on reddit, that request a signing of him. but from what I have seen of him here, he is not very…. special? no means to disrespect Imanaga, but I would be surprised if he hits the level of Kikuchi.
    are there any specific qualities that fit so well with the MLB? is there such a shortage on left starters? Is it just the hype for japanese players caused by Ohtani and Yamamoto?
    I would appreciate if someone could provide some insight into MLB’s high interest in him.

15. Fun fact about the name ‘Shota’…

    So I’m in São Paulo for the Brasil Game Show as a special guest. I’m involved in each days opening ceremonies where I’m on stage. My first day doing the opening ceremony, they call me on stage and I go up there, shake hands with the host and wait for the following person to come up and line up next to me.

    So all of a sudden they start wheeling this Japanese guy out on a bed to the stage, his name was ‘Shota Nakama’. The Brazilian fans (probably close to 10K of them) are just going absolutely nuts for this guy. He gets out of his bed and stands next to me and I look over to him and say, “What’s with the bed and how are you this famous here?”

    He turns his head and says, “In Portuguese, my name means ‘Pussy in Bed’.”

    End up he was also a fairly well known Final Fantasy composer.

16. I just don’t see him in the Dodgers future. We have Ohtani, May, Gonsolin coming back next year. Currently have Miller, Sheehan, Stone, Frasso, Hurts all ready for an opportunity and let’s not forget about Kershaw. If you add another pitcher to a long term contract and hope to sign Sasaki next year where would everyone be slotted? Seems like a good problem to have but just doesn’t make too much sense. Unless it’s all in on 2024.

17. Id rather wait for Roki. He his basically yusei kukuchi profile more than left handed yu darvish

18. Getting concerned it won’t happen. It feels like it’s not an issue to the FO that we need lefties (SP and RP) and I’m curious why that is.

    Kershaw can’t be the only lefty acquired for the rest of the year