MLB Rumors: 5 teams that could strike gold with Shota Imanaga

2. Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds shocked the baseball world by sticking in the playoff race until the bitter end. They didn't make it, but they weren't supposed to with the roster they had. Cincinnati finished with an 82-80 record, and a whole bunch of young players to be excited about. The problem is, almost all of these young players are position players.

The Reds do have arms that have shown promise in Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Graham Ashcraft, and Andrew Abbott, but don't have the veteran to help lead them to glory. They also finished with the 28th-best starting pitcher ERA in all of baseball this past season.

In a perfect world, Cincinnati would be after one of the bonafide aces available, but we know they're unlikely to spend that kind of money. A player like Imanaga who is projected to make just eight figures on his deal makes more sense for the small-market Reds. Imanaga would have the opportunity to grow alongside these young Reds but also brings experience as a guy who has pitched in big games before.

As long as Imanaga can keep the ball in the yard at Great American Ballpark he should be a very nice fit for a young Reds team ready to take the next step.