The Chicago Cubs knew that the complex “five-year” contract to which they signed Shōta Imanaga a couple years ago might not actually ever become a five-year contract. Instead, multiple options approaches were baked into the deal, and we saw a couple of them play out at the start of this offseason.
The Cubs had the option to retain Imanaga for the next three seasons at $57 million. Once they declined, Imanaga had the option to stay for the next two seasons at $30.5 million, with an opt out in the middle of those two seasons. He also declined. Now we wait out Shōta Imanaga’s decision on the one-year, $22 million Qualifying Offer.
Although the Cubs and Imanaga obviously contemplated these possibilities when crafting the contract, they may not have necessarily predicted in advance that Imanaga’s perceived value would fall somewhere between those two options figures. Then again, that tends to be why contracts like this are structured this way in the first place.
As Jed Hoyer said from the GM Meetings tonight, the decisions were not a matter of the Cubs not valuing Shōta Imanaga, or of Imanaga not valuing his time with the Cubs. It was, indeed, just a case where one side thought their option was too high, and the other side thought his option was too low:
“I don’t want to close that door completely, but ultimately we didn’t think the club option was the right value, he didn’t think the player option was the right value and that happens.”Jed Hoyer on the decision to not pick up Shota Imanaga’s option. pic.twitter.com/YPTUeikTJd
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) November 11, 2025All compliments there for Imanaga are sincere and earned, and you’ll note that Hoyer certainly wasn’t closing the door on a return, even if Imanaga rejects the one-year, $22 million Qualifying Offer. That decision is due by November 18, at which point we’ll obviously know a whole lot more about where this relationship goes. I still think there’s a very good chance Imanaga simply accepts that offer and is back with the Cubs in 2026 after all.
From there (or even if he rejects the QO), negotiations could still continue:
President of Baseball operations Jed Hoyer said that there is no disconnect between Shota Imanaga and Cubs……It appears a two year deal of some kind could be worked out either before or after he accepts or declines qualifying offer.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) November 12, 2025Hence then, the article about jed hoyer discusses the shōta imanaga options decisions 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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