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Shota Imanaga’s 45-day posting window closes right this moment, that means the Cubs will seemingly announce his reported four-year contract within the close to future. It’s recognized that the Chicago outbid a discipline of events together with a minimum of the Giants, Angels and Crimson Sox, though a number of stories within the ultimate days of Imanaga’s free company recommended there have been as many as 5 groups within the combine. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers now reports that the Pirates confirmed curiosity within the star NPB left-hander — a shock entrant into the Imanaga marketplace for quite a lot of causes.
On the one hand, phrase of curiosity that didn’t materialize in a deal will be waved off by many as inconsequential. Imanaga is headed to the Cubs, and he’ll spend anyplace from two to 5 seasons there, because of the complicated nature of his contract. (4 years are assured, however he has a number of opt-out probabilities and the Cubs can supersede these by selecting up a fifth-year choice after the 2025 season.) What’s completed is completed. Imanaga isn’t and won’t be a member of the Pirates.
On the opposite, the Pirates are a genuinely shocking entrant into the Imanaga bidding. Signing him would’ve required the Bucs to commit the most important contract they’ve ever given to a pitcher; Francisco Liriano’s $39MM pact presently holds that distinction. That’s fascinating in and of itself, but it surely’s additionally additional intriguing in that their reported curiosity now makes it value questioning whether or not the Bucs might need a bit more cash to spend than most would’ve assumed. And, if that’s the case, it’s truthful to contemplate that maybe they’d be in play for different middle-tier starters who stay unsigned. The likes of Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery nonetheless determine to be nicely past the Pirates’ worth vary, however there are nonetheless a couple of notable arms within the subsequent tier down — Marcus Stroman, James Paxton, Michael Lorenzen, Hyun Jin Ryu and Cuban righty Yariel Rodriguez (who’s spent the previous a number of seasons starring in NPB) amongst them.
To date, the Pirates have added lefties Martin Perez (one 12 months, $8MM) and Marco Gonzales (acquired from the Braves for a PTBNL) to their rotation behind Mitch Keller. With right-hander Johan Oviedo present process Tommy John surgical procedure earlier this offseason, nonetheless, there’s better want past that trio — particularly contemplating Gonzales’ personal harm troubles this previous season. Former high prospect Roansy Contreras took a step again in 2023 after a extra promising 2022 exhibiting, whereas prospect Quinn Priester had a rocky debut in 2023.
The Pirates will get righty JT Brubaker again from his personal Tommy John process this 12 months, however he’ll certainly be eased again into the fold and will probably be on some stage of innings restrict. Proper-hander Luis Ortiz and southpaw Bailey Falter are among the many group’s different choices within the rotation, and 2023 No. 1 general decide Paul Skenes might make his MLB debut through the summer season of 2024. That each one offers the Bucs some depth, however with a minimum of two rotation spots nonetheless in flux, there’s room for an additional arm to be added.
It’s potential that the Pirates seen Imanaga as an exception of types, and that their curiosity in him will go down as little greater than a footnote. It stays unclear, in any case, whether or not they pursued him with any stage of aggression or whether or not they have been hoping to land him on a shorter-term pact that falls nicely shy of the place he finally landed with the Cubs.
If the Bucs fill out their rotation internally or make one other funds pickup to stuff some low-upside innings into their beginning workers, the curiosity in Imanaga will shortly be forgotten. But it surely’s nonetheless fascinating to see Pittsburgh punching north of its typical weight class in free company. Common supervisor Ben Cherington indicated earlier this offseason that the group’s payroll will be anticipated to extend — though final 12 months’s $73MM Opening Day mark is kind of a low bar to clear. The Bucs presently mission for a payroll of about $70MM, per Roster Resource.
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