DeNA BayStars left-hander Shota Imanaga will try to sign with an MLB team this offseason through the posting system, the Central League club said Saturday.
The 30-year-old, who started for Japan in the final of this year's World Baseball Classic against the United States, informed the Yokohama-based BayStars of his intention to pitch in the U.S. majors.
Imanaga led the CL with 174 strikeouts in 2023 while posting a 7-4 record with a 2.80 ERA in 22 games.
"If someone has a dream he wants to realize, and we think he has the ability to achieve it, we want to support that," DeNA executive Tatsuhiro Hagiwara said.
DeNA's first-round pick in the 2015 draft threw a no-hitter on June 7, 2022, against the Nippon Ham Fighters and has a 64-50 career record with a 3.18 ERA over eight seasons, all with the BayStars.
Related coverage:
Baseball: Ohtani, Yamamoto hot topics as MLB general managers meet
Baseball: Shohei Ohtani wins 2nd Silver Slugger as AL's best DH
Baseball: Japanese lefty Yuki Matsui set to test MLB free agent market
