Dodgers Reportedly Out of Running for Shota Imanaga, Per The Athletic Insider

The Dodgers are reportedly out of the running for star Japanese LHP Shota Imanaga. Jim Bowden of The Athletic reported on Friday that there are four finalists for the lefty pitcher — and the Dodgers are not one of them.

Bowden said that the four finalists are the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants.

While Imanaga would make a lot of sense for the Dodgers — considering they currently lack a left-handed starting pitcher — it makes sense why they’re not among the finalists, according to Bowden.

Imanaga is expected to get a deal around the $80 to $100 million range, potentially for four or five years.

The Dodgers have already spent over $1 billion this offseason on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and agreed to a huge contract extension with Tyler Glasnow.

The Dodgers still have a few holes that they could fill, but it’s unlikely to be with a high priced free agent — especially as high priced as Imanaga. They have their eyes set on another star Japanese pitcher, anyway.

Imanaga has until Jan. 11 to have a finalized contract, so expect his market to pick up rapidly over the next few days.

The Dodgers would definitely prefer he stay away from the Giants among those four finalists, but we’ll see which team makes him the best offer within the next week.

Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports