The Chicago Cubs made a major free agent splash when they signed Japanese star Shota Imanaga in free agency. However, the Cubs aren’t looking to close up shop even after adding Imanaga to their roster.
The left-hander signed a four-year, $53 million contract with an option that can boost it to $80 million in value. To president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, Imanaga’s deal was just a precursor of what’s to come for Chicago, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN.
“We’re in the fourth or fifth inning of our offseason, Hoyer said.
If the Cubs truly are just gearing up, signing Imanaga was a great start. Over his eight seasons of professional baseball, the lefty holds a 74-55 record with a 2.96 ERA and a 1,183/301 K/BB ratio. Imanaga is a two-time NPB All-Star and was a member of Japan’s World Baseball Classic winning team in 2023.
Chicago certainly could use a pitcher of his caliber. The Cubs ranked 14th in the league with their 4.08 ERA in 2023. They were 19th in strikeouts with 1,377.
But after missing out on the playoffs, Jed Hoyer knows the Cubs need more work to round out their roster. Cody Bellinger remains a free agent and would be a massive blow to the offense should he sign elsewhere. Hoyer is likely actively looking at bats, including potentially Bellinger, to match their addition of Imanaga on the pitching.
But if nothing else Jed Hoyer’s comments show that the Cubs aren’t planning on having the quiet offseason many expected. While signing Shota Imanaga was their first major splash of the offseason, Hoyer knows it won’t be the only one.
More must-reads: