JUST IN: New York Yankees are set to Finalize move for pitching top target after hitting Free Agency

Shota Imanaga, another New York Yankees pitching target, was released by Nippon Professional Baseball on Monday.

According to the Kyodo News, Imanaga’s NPB team, the Yokohama BayStars, released him, kicking off the 45-day negotiating window for MLB teams. Imanaga must reach an agreement by Jan. 11 or return to the BayStars for another season.

On Monday, Imanaga was not the only Japanese pitcher who had been posted. According to MLB.com, Naoyuki Uwasawa of the Nippon-Ham Fighters was also posted and has the same timeline as Imanaga to find a deal.

Uwasawa, a right-hander who will turn 30 in January, has a career strikeout rate of 19.7 percent. He has a good walk rate (7.5%) and is coming off a 2023 season in which he had a 2.96 ERA in 170 innings and walked only 5.9 percent of the batters he faced.

He’s pitched over 1,000 innings and has a career ERA of 3.19.

Imagana’s ERA has been less than 3.00 in two of his last five seasons. He has a 2.79 ERA with a 26.2 percent strikeout rate and a 5.9 percent walk rate since 2019.

He struck out nearly 30% of batters he faced in 148 innings in 2023, posting a 2.80 ERA. He only walked 3.8 percent of batters he faced. He threw a no-hitter in 2022.

According to MLB Trade Rumo, Imanaga could sign a five-year contract worth $85 million.

The Yankees’ pursuit of Imanaga is unlikely to prevent them from pursuing the top import this offseason, Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The Yankees are expected to speak with Yamamoto and his representatives this week as the 25-year-old narrows down his options for a December visit to the United States.

 

He must find a deal by January 4, and he is expected to find one worth more than $200 million.

He has a 70-29 career record. He had a 1.21 ERA, a 16-6 record, and 169 strikeouts in 164 innings in 2023. He also threw his second no-hitter of the season in front of Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.

Imanaga and Uwasawa are the most recent Asian players to be added to the roster.

 

Jung Hoo Lee, an outfielder for Kiwoom Heroes in Korean Professional Baseball, is expected to be posted in December. Once he’s posted, teams will have 30 days to sign him.

Lee has been a member of the KBO since he was 18 years old. He worked for Nexen for two years before joining Kiwoom. He’s been a remarkably consistent hitter in the KBO, batting over.300 in each of his seven seasons and accumulating a lifetime batting average of.340. He also has a fielding percentage of.992.