Cubs Ace Reportedly Was 'High' On Red Sox's Free Agent List But Missed Out

Boston reportedly showed plenty of interest in the Cubs ace in free agency

Jun 19, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; A member of the grounds crew wipes off the Chicago Cubs' on deck / Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox landed one starting pitcher in free agency but it sounds like they attempted to sign more.

Boston was in rumors left and right throughout the offseason but didn't come away with much to show for it. The Red Sox did sign All-Star Lucas Giolito, but he will miss the entire 2024 season due to an elbow injury.

There were a handful of other hurlers out there who could've made sense for Boston and were linked to the club in one way or another. One player who was mentioned as a fit on numerous occasions was Chicago Cubs ace Shōta Imanaga.

He was available in free agency after spending most of his professional career as a member of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Ultimately the Cubs ended up landing him, but he reportedly was "high" on the Red Sox's free agent list, according to the Boston Globe's Alex Speier.

"While right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto represented the most prominent free agent pitcher of the offseason, he wasn’t the only noteworthy Japanese pitching standout coming to the States," Speier said. "Left-hander Shota Imanaga — the NPB leader in strikeouts in 2023 — was high on the Sox’ list. In fact, the Sox were among the most aggressive teams pursuing the left-hander."

"In a Zoom meeting with the pitcher early in the offseason, they expressed fascination with his elite riding fastball while believing a few small usage tweaks could open the door to a ton of swings and misses in the big leagues...The Sox, according to a major league source, were the first team to make an offer, putting a two-year, $26 million deal on the table early in the offseason. But Imanaga’s agents believed he would have a more robust market."

Boston didn't end up landing the hurler because it didn't make a large enough offer. Imanaga showed Friday night what he could've looked like pitching at Fenway Park but they missed out.

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