Shota Imanaga Free Agency Update: MLB insider labels veteran pitcher 'good signing' for Mets after Yoshinobu Yamamoto's Dodgers deal

Shota Imanaga has emerged as one of the most intriguing names on the free agent market following Yoshinobu Yamamoto's move to the Los Angeles Dodgers. While Imanaga may not have the elite upside of Yamamoto, his skills and track record in Japan show that he can be an effective rotational piece in the MLB.

MLB columnist John Harper spoke with a scout, who believes that Shota Imanaga is the ideal target for the New York Mets. The Mets were seen as legitimate threats to land Yoshinobu Yamamoto, however, they will now need to pivot in order to bolster their pitching rotation.

"Scout this morning says Imanaga (age 30) would be a good signing now for Mets: "Very deceptive, low 90s FB plays up due to low arm angle. Should age well because of excellent command of breaking stuff, great feel for changing speeds, high whiff rate. Cost prob similar to Senga." - @NYNJHarper

The scout believes that even though he is coming to the MLB as a 30-year-old rookie, his abilities as a pitcher should age well over time. Imanaga is not known as a power pitcher, instead, he relies upon his deceptive skills with his off-speed pitches and breaking stuff.

It may be a risk for teams such as the New York Mets to gamble on a pitcher who is in his 30s and throws his fastballs in the low 90s. However, those "red flags" aside, he should have plenty of teams interested in his services given his success in the NPB.

"Oh well, Shota Imanaga’s gonna look great in orange and blue." - @JohnFlanigan_

Last season with the Yokohama Bay Stars, Shota Imanaga pitched 159 innings with a 2.66 ERA and 188 strikeouts. Interestingly enough, Imanaga recorded a higher strikeout rate than Yoshinobu Yamamoto last season.

Shota Imanaga has been linked to a number of teams this offseason

The elite "stuff" that Imanaga possesses has made him a target for several teams this offseason. The 30-year-old left-handed pitcher has reportedly been targetted by the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and New York Yankees.

He has also been linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers, however, it remains to be seen if he is still an option following the signings of both Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani. The scout that John Harper referenced earlier believes that he will be able to secure a contract similar to Kodai Senga when he made the jump to the MLB, agreeing to a five-year, $75,000,000 deal with the Mets.