Shota Imanaga to Sign with Cubs: What to Make of Move

The Shota Imanaga race seems to be over, as the Cubs are set to add the left-hander per multiple reports. Imanaga was one of the better pitchers in Japan over the past few years and now he’s set to join a Cubs team that looks to do better after falling just short of a playoff spot in 2023. Here’s a closer look at Imanaga.

A Look at Imanaga

Left-hander Shota Imanaga was one of the more interesting, yet talented pitchers available in the free agent market. We rated the soon-to-be Cub the 14th-best pitcher available in free agency.

Imanaga was a standout for the Yokohama Bay Stars. Two seasons ago, Imanaga struck out 151 over 158.2 IP, owned a 0.90 WHIP, and walked just 32. This past year, the 30-year-old struck out 188 over 159 innings.

The left-hander is a bit different as compared to some of the more recent native Japanese pitchers to come over to the U.S. That’s because unlike Kodai Senga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Imanaga doesn’t throw very hard.

The 30-year-old lefty sat in the 92-94 MPH range but did hit 96 in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, including in the championship game against Team USA, in which he recorded the win. It’s an average from a velocity standpoint but one he’s got command of for the most part and a pitch that has ride.

Additionally, Imanaga will break out a low-70s lollipop curveball with depth, slider, and splitter. Team USA hitters got a good look at that splitter, one that differs in speed by about 8-10 MPH from the fastball and didn’t have a ton of fade in the WBC but the speed differential makes a difference.

The new Cub doesn’t boast elite stuff. However, the deception and command that Imanaga offers do give him a good chance to be an effective starter at the MLB level.

Imanaga was a standout in Japan. Now, he’s set to join Seiya Suzuki and the Cubs for the 2024 campaign. USA Today was the first to report the Cubs’ signing of Shota Imanaga.

Analysis

There was some reported concern about Imanaga’s fly-ball rate, hence why the Yankees, a team reportedly in on him, jumped out of the race for the lefty. It’ll be interesting how his game will translate at Wrigley Field, a tricky park for hitters in the early months of the year.

The Cubs came into the offseason with a need for starting pitching. Right-hander Marcus Stroman became a free agent last November, which left a hole in a rotation that tentatively includes Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Kyle Hendricks, with Drew Smyly, Javier Assad, and Jordan Hicks among the back-end options.

Imanaga isn’t an ace. But, his ability to change speeds and good command do give him the potential to be a reliable middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Cubs.

The reported agreement with Imanaga takes care of one hole for the Cubs. However, it’ll be interesting to see where the Cubs will go from here. Cody Bellinger remains a free agent and the Cubs will still have a hole in their lineup should he not return.