. Imanaga has two weeks remaining.
With his posting window open until January 11, left-hander Shota Imanaga has just two weeks remaining to work out a contract with an MLB team. He will rejoin the Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Yokohama BayStars, if a deal cannot be completed by then, but all signs suggest that his market is strong. In his eight seasons in the National Baseball League, he has a 3.18 earned run average. He just finished the 2023 season with a 2.80 ERA and a 29.2% strikeout rate. The MLBTR projected that he would sign a five-year contract worth $85 million, but there have been tidings of his market climbing above $100 million. In addition to the money they guarantee to Imanaga, the signing team would also owe the BayStars a posting fee.
2. Maldy needs a berth on the White Sox roster:
MartÃn Maldonado, a catcher, and the White Sox reached an agreement earlier this week. With their current 40-man roster, they will need to make a transfer of some kind to clear a spot before officially signing Maldy. It is possible that the club will try to arrange a trade or assign someone in the upcoming days.
3. What will the Jays do next?
Several prominent figures, such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Juan Soto, and Shohei Ohtani, have been linked to the Blue Jays this winter. The Jays switched to minor moves when those players went elsewhere, most recently reaching agreements with Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Kevin Kiermaier. With players like Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman still available in free agency, there’s still time for a greater splash. Given that Kiner is now a part of a congested group of depth or part-time players on the squad, the Kiner-Falefa deal could possibly be a sign of a move. Kiner-Falefa and Bo Bichette are viable options for third base and second base, respectively, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bichette suited up at shortstop and first base, respectively.