Left-hander Shota Imanaga is accepting the $22.025 million qualifying offer to return to the Cubs. Kyle Tucker is rejecting the offer as he seeks a long-term deal.
In an early offseason twist, Imanaga became a free agent when the Cubs declined to pick up the three-year option in his contract – prompting Imanaga to decline a player option and hit the open market. He then received the qualifying offer from the Cubs.
Just two years ago, the left-hander burst onto the scene as a 30-year-old rookie, making the jump to the Majors from the Yokohama DeNa BayStars of Japan’s NPB. His jovial personality and on-field performance made him an instant fan favorite. Imanaga went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 29 starts, earning an All-Star bid as a rookie and finishing fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting.
While Imanaga took a step backwards in ‘25, he was nonetheless a productive pitcher. Though he missed nearly two months with a hamstring injury, Imanaga made 25 starts and posted a 3.73 ERA. He has excellent command, with a 4.6% walk rate in the 96th percentile of MLB.
Imanaga was mostly plagued by the long ball. He’s allowed a total of 58 home runs over the last two seasons, including 31 in ‘25 – only three pitchers allowed more homers last season.
Imanaga relies on a four-seam fastball that plays up despite below-average velocity, in part because of his ability to generate carry from a low arm slot. His average fastball velocity (90.8 mph) is in the eighth percentile of MLB, yet the league hit just .227 off the pitch last season. Imanaga pairs his fastball with a devastating splitter, as the two pitches tunnel well together to create an added layer of deception. He’ll also mix in a sweeper as his primary pitch to left-handed hitters. The secondary pitches help Imanaga induce a chase rate of 31.6%, which ranks in the 84th percentile.
The 32-year-old also boasts plenty of big game experience. He made a pair of postseason appearances this past year for the Cubs and also shined in Japan’s run to the 2023 World Baseball Classic title, including starting the decisive gold-medal game victory over Team USA.
Before signing a four-year deal with the Cubs ahead of the ‘24 season, Imanaga spent eight years in NPB. He pitched to a 3.18 ERA in 1,002 2/3 innings.
