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The Japanese ace signing in MLB for over $150 million deal has being the greatest moments of my Life
If you thought MLB teams were done spending big money on Japanese players this offseason, think again.
Shota Imanaga has been posted by the Yokohama BayStars and is receiving interest from MLB teams. ESPN’s Jeff Passan passes along that Imanaga is expected to receive a deal for more than $100 million.
Imanaga is a 30-year-old pitcher. The southpaw went 7-4 with a 2.80 ERA in 148 innings pitching in Japan’s Central League last season. He walked just 24 batters and struck out 174.
In his Nippon Professional Baseball career, Imanaga has gone 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA.
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The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported in a video post that he expects the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants to be involved in the bidding for the 30-year-old.
Heyman said the New York Yankees “don’t really love Imanaga” because they view him as a fly ball pitcher who would be a bad fit at their home stadium
The team that signs Imanaga will also have to pay a posting fee to Yokohama for the right to sign the pitcher, who now appears likely to receive more than the $75 million Kodai Senga received from the New York Mets last year.
The SF Giants are expected to add top Venezuelan prospects Yoendry Sanchez and Johnny Level to their organization in the 2024 IFA class, per Baseball America.
Major League Baseball’s 2024 international free-agent period will officially open on January 15th, resetting each team’s spending pool and opening the door for players who were too young to sign last year to become professional ballplayers. Ben Badler of Baseball America released a detailed list of the players expected to receive one of the 50 largest signing bonuses. Per Badler, the SF Giants are expected to sign two of those prospects, catcher Yoendry Sanchez and shortstop Johnny Level, both Venezuelan natives.
Sanchez has drawn comparisons to Gary Sanchez in terms of their skillset. His biggest tool is his power given his already physically mature frame. According to MLB.com, Sanchez has flashed the potential to hit home runs “in all directions”. There are swing-and-miss concerns and a tendency to expand the strike zone but there are hopes that it will improve due to his high marks in terms of makeup and work ethic. Even though he’s already a physical athlete, Sanchez has shown good mobility for his size with an above-average arm to stick at the position. He will likely receive the biggest signing bonus from the Giants in this cycle.
On the other hand, Level has shown more of a hit-over-power in his offensive profile, per MLB.com and Baseball America’s reports. He’s a switch hitter whose already shown plenty of bat speed and twitch on both sides of the batter’s box. Both of his swings look aesthetically pleasing and should generate plenty of contact. While he’s yet to fill in his 5’10”, 160 lbs. frame, Level has the potential to hit double-digit home runs once he physically matures. He has the potential to stick at shortstop long-term with his above-average speed, arm strength, and excellent instincts on both sides of the ball. He was also compared to Guardians prospect Brayan Rocchio and former big leaguer Rafael Furcal.
