Chicago Cubs News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Chicago Cubs: Imanaga’s excellence teases looming free agent drama

Imagn Images

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Chicago Cubs: Imanaga’s excellence teases looming free agent drama

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Paul Magno | Last updated Apr 16, 2026 3:12 PM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

The Chicago Cubs are facing an unexpected dilemma within their pitching staff—and, no, it’s not just the rash of injuries washing over the pitching corps. This one is actually a pretty good problem to have.

Shota Imanaga has been killing it so far this season while working under a qualifying offer contract with free agency looming at the end of the baseball year.

The issue arises in the fact that the Cubs seemed fine with walking away from the Japanese southpaw after declining their three-year, $57.75 million club option on him over the offseason and eventually settling on a one-year $22 million deal for 2026.

After a stellar 2024 rookie season, Imanaga’s effectiveness cratered in 2025 before dropping alarmingly at the end of the year.

He never quite got back on track after an early-May hamstring injury, the first lower-body injury of his career. By the end of the season, he was getting hit hard, giving up 20 of his 31 home runs in his final 12 starts and posting a 6.51 ERA in the month of September.

In the playoffs, Imanaga continued the downward trajectory, posting an 8.10 ERA in two shortened outings versus the Padres and Brewers. He also clearly fell out of manager Craig Counsell’s circle of trust and was bypassed on his last scheduled start in the NLDS.

From afterthought to key ingredient

Mar 29, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) reacts after the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

As the 2026 season approached, Imanaga looked more like an afterthought than a crucial part of the starting rotation. The vibe given off was that the team would be happy with whatever they could get from the 32-year-old.

However, with Cade Horton suffering a season ending elbow injury and Matthew Boyd suffering a season-stalling left biceps issue, Imanaga is being counted on to deliver as a front-of-rotation starter.

So far, he’s delivered.

Wednesday’s 11-2 win over the Phillies in Philadelphia featured a gem of an outing from Imanaga, as he set personal records of 11 strikeouts and 26 whiffs over 6 innings with only one earned run allowed. The outing is coming right after Friday’s no-hit, no-run 6-inning masterpiece against the Pirates at Wrigley Field.

Excluding a rocky Opening Weekend performance against the Nationals, he’s been lights out with a 1.06 ERA over three starts and 17 innings, notching 24 strikeouts over the stretch of time.

Imanaga: Crucial this year and beyond?

Cubs Manager Craig Counsell Threw Player Under the Bus 3 Oct 1, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) reacts after giving up a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

His continued success is now crucial to the success of a beleaguered pitching staff and, also, to a Cubs team with championship aspirations.

And with the reality setting in that nobody knows what’s in the future for Horton or, for that matter, with the returning Justin Steele, who’s recovering from his own elbow surgery last year, keeping Imanaga for a few extra years should be a real consideration.

The Cubs are historically not go-getters when it comes to bidding wars for their outgoing free agent talent—and a fully actualized Imanaga will draw plenty of interest from other teams. But, if he continues on this current pace, they may have to make an exception when it comes to trying to keep the southpaw in Chicago.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: