The Chicago Cubs agreed to a contract with star Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
The exact terms of the deal aren’t yet known. It’s expected to be a complicated contract, with the guaranteed money in the area of two years and $30 million, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. The deal will also include a series of player and team options, as well as escalator clauses that could boost its total value to approximately $80 million.
The Cubs will also have to pay a posting fee to Imanaga’s Japanese team, the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, on top of his contract.
Imanaga will undergo a physical Wednesday in Chicago, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. His deadline to sign is Thursday at 5 p.m. ET, when his posting window expires.
The 30-year-old went 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 1,021 strikeouts while earning two All-Star berths during his eight seasons with Yokohama. Imanaga also threw a no-hitter in 2022 and was Japan’s starter against the United States in last year’s World Baseball Classic championship game.
Imanaga recorded a Central League-leading 174 strikeouts last season and issued only 24 walks while posting a 10.6 K/9, 2.80 ERA, and 1.05 WHIP in 148 innings for Yokohama. However, Imanaga was prone to giving up the long ball, allowing the second-most home runs (17) in his league.Nicknamed “The Throwing Philosopher,” Imanaga posted a 68% strike rate in 2023 that would have placed him in the top 10 for MLB starters, per Sports Info Solutions. The 5-foot-10 southpaw’s arsenal includes a fastball that can reach the low-to-mid 90s, a slider, a curveball, a splitter, and an occasional changeup.
Imanaga will add a solid veteran arm to the middle of the Cubs’ rotation, where he’ll likely replace free agent Marcus Stroman. He’ll be the third left-hander in Chicago’s rotation, joining Justin Steele and Jordan Wicks.
Cubs’ projected 2024 rotation
PITCHER THROWS 2023 ERA 2023 K/9
Justin Steele L 3.06 9.1
Jameson Taillon R 4.84 8.2
Shota Imanaga L 2.80 10.6
Kyle Hendricks R 3.74 6.1
Jordan Wicks L 4.41 6.2
Once official, this will mark the Cubs’ first major-league free-agent signing of this offseason. Chicago’s only significant move of the winter was poaching manager Craig Counsell from the Milwaukee Brewers in November. Two of the club’s key players from last season, Stroman and NL Comeback Player of the Year Cody Bellinger, remain unsigned in free agency.
The Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and San Francisco Giants were rumored to be among the finalists for Imanaga.
thescore.com
