After the Boston Red Sox missed out on signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, their sights turned to a different Japanese pitching phenomenon.
Shōta Imanaga made the transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB this season. His first campaign in the United States has been incredible. Imanaga, nicknamed "The Throwing Philosopher," has posted a stellar 0.84 ERA in 53.2 innings for the Chicago Cubs.
The righty would've fit right in Boston's rotation, too, which makes this all the more difficult. The Red Sox have boasted unexpected success from their starters early in the season and Imanaga's stats would somehow have made the 2.97 team ERA better.
But it wasn't just an on-field "fit" -- Imanaga would've been great in Boston for another off-the-field reason. In a postgame presser, the hurler was asked if he can walk around Chicago without being recognized. Imanaga, through an interpreter, admitted that he doesn't get out much besides his commute to and from the ballpark.
The only other time the pitcher goes out on the town is to get his daily latte from Dunkin' Donuts.
Shōta Imanaga's daily tradition would've made him a perfect fit with the Red Sox
Shota Imanaga admitted he doesn't go out much — just to pick up a latte at Dunkin.
— Andy Martínez (@amartinez_11) May 18, 2024
So they definitely know him there, right?
"They probably think that ‘Oh this guy can’t make up his mind if he wants a small or a medium.’”
On Imanaga's historic start:https://t.co/e9o79Kdmod
Imanaga either orders a small or medium iced latte every day. Had he decided to sign with the Sox, he could've tried a new Dunks location before every home game with some time to spare — according to Boston.com, there are 85 Dunkins in Boston alone.
Imanaga isn't a Red Sox because the front office wouldn't match the $53 million the Cubs offered him over the offseason. Boston hasn't needed him because its pitching has been elite, but Imanaga's brilliance has been undeniable.
If the Red Sox knew about Imanaga's affinity for Dunkin during his free agency, maybe he'd be playing in Massachusetts, a coffee lover's paradise and birthplace of the franchise. In Boston, he'd be have medium iced lattes delivered to him on every street corner.