Dodgers Rumors: Star Japanese Pitcher Will be Posted, Linked to LA as Potential Landing Spot

Though all eyes are on one Japanese pitcher’s impending free agency in 2023, one of Shohei Ohtani’s WBC teammates he won the tournament with could intrigue other teams in the winter.

A big game pitcher in every sense of the word, Shota Imanaga is set to join the international pool as another option for teams to go after for some rotational help.

Imanaga’s time in Japan has spanned eight seasons and through those years he’s pitched to a sub 3 ERA in one of the toughest leagues in the world.

Hurling for the Yokohama DeNa Baystars, Imanaga’s stats speak for themselves as he’s thrown over 100 innings in each of his healthy seasons providing both durability and stability for his team.

Considering the Dodgers’ penchant for chasing international talent in the last few decades, signing Imanaga would be a continuation of the trend after many successful Asian players have started their careers in LA.

Kenta Maeda and Hyun-Jin Ryu immediately come to mind as pitchers who have succeeded from overseas in their time with the Dodgers in recent seasons.

Though all eyes will certainly be on Ohtani’s status, especially concerning his pitching future due to an elbow injury, getting someone of Imanaga’s talents paired with Mark Prior’s knowledge as pitching coach of LA could pair nicely for Dave Roberts’ potential rotation in 2024.

It’s already been said that Ohtani might not pitch next year due to his elbow, and should the Dodgers fail to get starting help from the domestic pool of free agents, Imanaga’s already proven he can dominate American competition at the WBC to win gold for his country.

Photo Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!