A lot of potential farewells this offseason, eh? We have already discussed Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki – and will talk about them a whole lot more in the coming months, I reckon – but how about Shota Imanaga?
This is actually the second offseason in a row where there’s an open question about Imanaga’s possible return to the Cubs. Last year, it was his complex layers of contract options, combined with the Qualifying Offer (which he ultimately accepted). This year, there’s none of that. He is simply a straight up free agent, as soon as the World Series concludes.
Shota Imanaga, 33, has been much more good than bad for the Cubs over his three seasons in Chicago. He has been durable, enjoyable, and boasts a 3.45 ERA over 492.1 innings (about 15% better than league average by ERA-). For the three years the Cubs had him, they paid under $45 million total. He was easily worth it.
The question going forward, though, is whether there’s mutual interest in continuing the partnership at a price tag that could be difficult to estimate. Although Imanaga’s results overall with the Cubs have been good, his best season by far is now two years in the rearview. His peripherals have become increasingly dicey, and his results can swing wildly based on tiny variations in his command that yield and outsized volume of homers. My gut says he’s still at least a 4/5 big league starter in almost any rotation, but we’ve seen for two years now how reluctant the Cubs have been to call his number in the biggest moments in the postseason. I don’t know that that suddenly turns around for him in his mid-30s.
In other words, Shota Imanaga is a guy worth having in your rotation, but I question whether he has the kind of impact-caliber upside that the Cubs need. Then again, the Cubs’ rotation on paper heading into the offseason is nothing but question marks, so maybe beggars can’t be choosers when the volume need is so striking.
There’s also the possibility that Imanaga could, at some point, elect to go back to Japan for another decent payday and continue his career there. So that’ll be another factor in his free agency, especially with a lockout looming that threatens some portion of the 2027 season.
I tend to think the Cubs will opt to use their available rotation dollars elsewhere, and may see guys like Matthew Boyd, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, or even Kevin Gausman as better internal targets to try to retain. If Imanaga were the third starter the Cubs signed this offseason – perhaps later in the offseason on a relative bargain one-year deal – I could see that being just fine. I do like rooting for him. But what can’t happen is what happened last year, where the Cubs wound up committing $22 million to Imanaga, and we might never know exactly what options that ultimately took off the table for the rotation.
I suppose the other thing I should note here, especially with Seiya Suzuki also a free agent and likely to depart: the Cubs really need to make sure they have a big-time Japanese player on the 2027 team. It’s critical to maintaining their organizational expertise in incorporating Japanese talent, their pipeline to Japanese talent in the first place, and their access to fan-driven opportunities in Asia. That player doesn’t have to be Shota Imanaga, but I do think it should be a factor in any decision about pursuing (or re-pursuing) a Japanese player.
Shota Imanaga shows his love for Cubs fans: "For that (first) press conference, I remember writing down on a piece of paper what I was gonna say in English. I still have it. I still walk around with it … even this year when I've had bad outings … the next day when I'm going… pic.twitter.com/2pdKuG9cwC
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) October 1, 2026Hence then, the article about for the second offseason in a row there is a shota imanaga question was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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