Setting aside depth/flyer/reclamation types – which a team like the Cubs can and should afford to acquire every offseason just to see what happens – the organization came into this offseason needing to add an impact starting pitcher at the front of the rotation.
I am a big believer in Cade Horton. I am hopeful that Justin Steele can come back strong next year. I think there’s a chance Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon could once again be very good. I think the Colin Rea/Javier Assad/Ben Brown/Jordan Wicks depth/swing group is pretty darn strong when you’re talking about that area of your pitching group. But when you look at the whole, and you look at the playoffs, and you look at the risks, and you look at what isn’t coming any time soon in the farm system, it was just so obvious at the start of the offseason that the Cubs needed to lock down one long-term, high-impact, front-of-the-rotation type arm.
And then the Shota Imanaga options decisions happened, and he became a free agent.
For about 10 days, then, something ADDITIONAL was just as clear: not only did the Cubs really need to add that front-of-the-rotation type, but they also probably needed to add another mid-rotation starter, too.
Everything from there was framed in that way, and it became very easy to dream on the Cubs making multiple pitching moves – a top free agent? a trade? why not both! – such that the Cubs doing just one meaningful starting pitcher thing this offseason would feel very disappointing.
Then yesterday happened, and Shota Imanaga accepted the Qualifying Offer for one year and $22 million. Instead of thinking of that decision as negatively impacting the Cubs’ offseason plans, I think it’s much more useful to look at it this way: the Cubs needed two starting pitchers this offseason, and they just got the first on a reasonable one-year deal.
You see, when we were thinking of the Cubs’ offseason needs way back at the very start of the offseason, we weren’t sure whether Imanaga would be back or not, so the only certainty was that a front-of-the-rotation type would be needed either way. And that is still the same story today as it was back then! The most important things about this offseason did not change yesterday.
Three things:1.) Shota is capable of being very good in 2026; 2.) A 1/$22M deal for Shota is perfectly reasonable; and3.) This deal should not preclude *any other* moves the Cubs were *sincerely* interested in pursuing the rest of the offseason. t.co/qcpwVjo4FE
— Brett Taylor (@Brett_A_Taylor) November 18, 2025When I say that bringing back Shota Imanaga at one year and $22 million “should not” preclude any other moves, I suppose you could pick nits and say that it means the Cubs can’t/won’t add two starting pitchers externally this offseason now. Sure. But Imanaga was a free agent, and now he’s coming back. So that’s my nit to pick right back at you: they could add two starting pitchers, and they just added one.
My point is that the MONEY associated with Imanaga’s new ONE-YEAR deal SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT stop the Cubs from adding LONG-TERM at the top of the rotation if they were ACTUALLY sincere about trying to do that in the first place.
In other words: the Cubs cannot use Shota Imanaga accepting the Qualifying Offer as an excuse not to go big. Because the need for a Dylan Cease or Tatsuya Imai or Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez or Michael King or Zac Gallen or Joe Ryan or Edward Cabrera or MacKenzie Gore TYPE is still there. Nothing about that changed yesterday. All options need to still be on the table, whether it’s a pricey free agent signing or a trade.
(And, by the way, if it’s the latter, then the Cubs better still have plenty of cash available to make an impactful move on the positional side, no?)
Whatever folks are feeling about Imanaga’s decision yesterday at this moment, I think almost everyone would be perfectly happy about it in retrospect if the Cubs do in fact go on to add another impactful starting pitcher this offseason. Take that group I mentioned up top, and add the impact guy plus Shota Imanaga, and boom, you have a fantastic group of starting pitchers. That’s where this offseason needs to go from here.
To that end, I was pleased to see Patrick Mooney – who broke the news of Imanaga’s acceptance, and who also was among the first to report that the Cubs could be shopping in a higher tier of starting pitcher this year – write the following:
“The Cubs have already been linked to several pitchers who also rejected qualifying offers, notable names such as Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Michael King, Ranger Suárez and Zac Gallen. Even with Imanaga back in the fold, Chicago’s front office made it clear that pitching will be the organization’s top offseason priority.”
Yes. That. That is exactly the attitude and approach I need to see after Imanaga’s return. That’s one box checked in the middle of the rotation. But more is needed.
Since that is the plan, and we are justified in expecting it of the Cubs, now we can proceed to look at the Shota Imanaga re-signing on its own merits. We can look at what went right and what went wrong for him in 2025. We can think about how he could bounce back a bit. We can talk about how experienced veterans are often surprisingly adept at finding new ways to succeed. We can talk about how we enjoy watching him perform as a Chicago Cub. He’s fun! And he can still be a very good starting pitcher for the 2026 Cubs.
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