MLB insider predicts $175,000,000 contract for Shota Imanaga with Japanese star to be posted within days

Shota Imanaga is expected to post for MLB very soon, and the Japanese superstar could command quite the contract. Whenever he does officially post, the bidding wars can officially start and they could drive his price very high. One MLB insider expects something just below the $200 million mark. With mega contracts being handed out frequently these days, it wouldn't be a surprise.

MLB reporter Mark Feinsand reported on X, formerly known as Twitter:

"Shota Imanaga, who started the WBC championship game for Japan, is expected to be posted between now and Monday. That would put his timeline to sign roughly a week behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the three-time Sawamua Award winner expected to land a deal worth at least $200 million."

Shota Imanaga is perhaps not as popular as other free-agent pitchers headlining a fairly deep class, but he has a lot of talent and Feinsand certainly believes his next contract will reflect that. Feinsand also noted that he's expected to post in the next few days, so the war could begin very soon.

He specified later that he expected a similar deal to Kodai Senga's:

"Apparently my wording has confused some, so allow me to clarify. Yamamoto is expected to land a deal worth at least $200M, not Imanaga. Industry types are projecting a deal similar to Kodai Senga’s (5/$75M) for Imanaga."

Shota Imanaga will be expensive

Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets all the headlines, and he is also expected to get a contract of over $200 million. Those who miss out might have the opportunity to spend that same money in a lesser extent on Imanaga.

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Which teams could pay for Shota Imanaga?

With the price for Shota Imanaga rising to potentially $175 million, as well as a potential posting fee, some teams just aren't going to be able to afford the star pitcher. That may rule out the more frugal MLB teams, like the Baltimore Orioles or Tampa Bay Rays.

The bigger teams that spend frequently now have a bit of a thinner competition market for the Japanese ace. That makes him a candidate to join several teams, with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers making sense.

The Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and several other teams have a willingness to spend in free agency, so there could certainly be a heated competition for the former NPB ace's services once he posts.