Red Sox miss out on another starter as Shota Imanaga signs with Cubs

BOSTON -- It has been over two months since Red Sox chairman Tom Werner uttered the words "full throttle" when discussing the organization's offseason approach. But the team remains in neutral as Boston missed out on yet another arm on the free-agent market.

The Red Sox had expressed some interest in Japanese starter Shota Imanaga, who had until Thursday to sign with a team as part of his posting process. Boston was reportedly a finalist for the lefty's services, but when it came time to pony up, the team apparently did not want to go, shall we say, full throttle.

Imanaga ended up agreeing to a deal with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, with The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reporting that Boston's offer for the 30-year-old was "characterized as lagging behind other interested teams," according to a source.

While Imanaga was seen as a middle-of-the-rotation kind of starter, the Red Sox are in desperate need of arms. New chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was reportedly looking to add one or two starters this offseason, and he did sign innings-eater Lucas Giolito in recent weeks. But he also traded away Chris Sale, and while Sale wasn't all that reliable the last several seasons, that trade subtracted another arm from Boston's mix.

There are a few notable starters still out there on the free-agent market, with National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery -- who helped the Texas Rangers win a World Series last October -- still available. But chances are both of those options will be too pricey for the Red Sox.

Boston could still add another arm through the trade market, but it seems like the team is going to settle for more bargain bin options. That doesn't exactly scream "full throttle" after two straight last-place finishes.