The Chicago Cubs are in the mix for Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi . The Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox are “involved” in conversations surrounding the left-hander, per Morosi.
Imanaga pitched and picked up the victory for Team Japan in the Gold Medal game against Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, putting his name on the stateside map.
In 148 innings with the Yokohama Bay Starts last season, Imanaga posted a 2.80 ERA with 174 strikeouts against just 24 walks. His strikeout numbers and chase rates in the NPB speak for themselves as he led NPB with a 29% strikeout rate.
Morosi added that some in the industry believe Imanaga could receive a contract in the $20 million AAV range, and median projections show exactly that — four years and $80 million ($20 million AAV).
Would Shota Imanaga Be a Good Fit for the Cubs?
Answering very simply, yes, Shota Imanaga would be a good fit for the Cubs. The North Siders need at least one more quality starting pitcher to feel comfortable going into the 2024 season. The downside of a potential Imanaga signing is that he’s not a heavy-velocity power arm, and the Cubs could desperately use a pitcher of that ilk.
However, Imanaga has a deep arsenal. It includes a four-seam fastball that sits around 91-93 MPH, two variations of a slider (traditional and sweeper), potentially three types of splitters and changeups, a curveball, and a cutter. Imanaga mainly relies on his fastball and slider, but having a plethora of offerings is always a good thing.
Does a lefty who doesn’t rely on heavy velocity and throws mainly a fastball and slider sound familiar? It should, because that description befits Justin Steele.
Maybe the Cubs can get the most out of Imanaga and he winds up an absolute stud. At the very least, he projects as a fine third or fourth starter in a big-league rotation. For $20 million a season, the Cubs could do much worse. We’ll see how the contract talks progress.
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