Chicago Cubs make a bold decision on Shota Imanaga’s future with the team
The Chicago Cubs enter the offseason needing to improve their roster after finishing 92-70 and losing to their division rival, the Milwaukee Brewers, in the National League Division Series (3-2).
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Needing to improve their rotation, the Cubs will be behind the eight-ball with a few holes to fill, especially after they decided not to bring left-hander Shota Imanaga back, after being an All-Star and a top-five candidate for the Cy Young award and Rookie of the Year in 2024.
The Chicago Cubs declined to bring back Shota Imanaga for next season
Signing a four-year $53 million deal ahead of the 2024 season, the Cubs decided to decline their options on Imanaga for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. Declining their option for next season triggered a $15 million player option for Imanaga, which he decided not to exercise, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Breaking Cubs news: Lefty starter Shota Imanaga is a free agent, sources tell ESPN. The team rejected their option to extend his contract out to a fifth year. That triggered his ability to exercise a $15 million player option for 2026. He declined that as well.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) November 4, 2025
In two years with the Cubs (2024-2025), Imanaga went 24-11 with a 3.28 ERA in 54 career games (54 games started) and had 291 strikeouts in 318.0 innings. Imanaga went 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 144.2 innings (25 starts) in 2025.
The Cubs now have a dire need for starting pitching, with Shota Imanaga departing
Imanaga’s departure now signals a need for the Cubs to add more depth in their starting rotation. The Cubs have a decent foundation with RHP Cade Horton, and left-handers Matthew Boyd and Justin Steele, who is returning from Tommy John surgery; they need to add a top-end starter and possibly a middle-of-the-rotation or depth piece to make them competitive with teams like the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.
With this decision coming as a shock, it will be interesting to see how president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, navigates his way through this offseason, especially after receiving an extension at the trade deadline.
Aug 16, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) pitches during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
The post Chicago Cubs make a bold decision on Shota Imanaga’s future with the team appeared first on ChiCitySports.
Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-decline-option-of-imanaga
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