Cubs Land Prized Japanese Lefty Imanaga With Lucrative $80M Deal, While Red Sox Rotation Needs Grow
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Japanese lefty starter Shōta Imanaga has agreed to a deal with the Cubs worth around $30M over 2 years with options that could push it to $80M total.
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The Red Sox were interested in Imanaga but were not among the most serious bidders. He was seen as a potential mid-rotation addition.
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Imanaga was posted by his Japanese team on Nov. 27th, allowing MLB teams a 30-day window to sign him. He led NPB with 174 strikeouts last season.
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The Red Sox have missed out on several top free agent targets this winter after showing interest, including Imanaga, Teoscar Hernández, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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Boston's rotation still has holes after trading Chris Sale and only adding Lucas Giolito so far. They may now look to trade for a controllable starter or sign a cheaper free agent.