Could the Padres Sign Another Star Japanese Pitcher This Offseason?

San Diego might aim to corner the Japanese market.

The San Diego Padres made their first big move of the offseason, reportedly striking a deal with star Japanese reliever Yuki Matsui, pending a physical. The closer would provide the Padres with immediate bullpen help, but the front office still has work to do to improve its starting rotation.

San Diego has been trying to cut payroll this offseason. Although they were able to acquire five players from the New York Yankees in exchange for Juan Soto and Trent Grisham, the Padres have yet to sign a major league free agent. The front office remains determined to be competitive next season — a difficult task in a division with the reigning pennant winners and a Dodgers team with a seemingly unlimited payroll.

MLB writer Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently compiled a list of free agent targets for each MLB team. He links the Padres to Japanese starting pitcher Shōta Imanaga.

"The rotation should take precedence, and they might not do better than Japanese left-hander Shōta Imanaga as a mid-level arm to put behind Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. He may not be as hyped as (Yoshinobu) Yamamoto, but the goods to survive in the majors are there."

Per Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report

Signing Imanaga would help the Padres' rotation greatly. He's been among the better pitchers in Japan since his 2016 debut, and could make a major impact on a rotation depleted by the free agent departures of Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and (likely) Blake Snell.

Imanaga started the gold medal game for Team Japan against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic earlier this year. The 30-year-old left-hander allowed one run in two innings, demonstrating he can handle moments under a global spotlight. 

Imanaga is projected to sign for less money than many available free-agent starters this winter. The Padres would be getting a solid number-3 starter in an off-season short on number-1 and number-2s.

Imanaga went 7-5 with a 2.66 ERA for the Yokohama BayStars last season. Teams might be waiting for Yoshinobu Yamamoto's free agency to resolve before making any aggressive offers for Imanaga. Whether the Padres are willing and able to be as aggressive as their competitors remains to be seen.