Cubs, Shota Imanaga Officially Agree On Four-Year Deal
11 months agoThe Chicago Cubs are officially in agreement with Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga on a four-year, $53 million deal on Wednesday, according to sources. After two years, the Cubs have the option to extend the contract to $80 million over five years. If they decline to do so, Imanaga then has the option to become a free agent. The 30-year-old southpaw is expected to immediately become the Cubs' No. 2 starter behind left-hander Justin Steele heading into the 2024 season. Imanaga was one of Japan's best pitchers the last eight years while pitching for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. In 2023, he had a 2.80 ERA and 1.05 WHIP while striking out 174 batters in 148 innings pitched. Imanaga doesn't come with the high-end upside that Yoshinobu Yamamoto does, but he could be a valuable mid-rotation arm for fantasy managers if he can limit the long ball.
Source: ESPN Chicago - Jesse Rogers
Source: ESPN Chicago - Jesse Rogers