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The Chicago Cubs have finally made a splurge this offseason, signing Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga to their roster. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Cubs and pitcher agreed on a multi-year deal, pending a physical, and the official announcement will follow soon.
According to Jon Morosi, the multi-year deal will see the pitcher get $15 million annually:
The Japanese hurler joins Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Jameson Taillon and Jordan Wicks as the Opening Day roster locks.
Despite the addition of Shota Imanaga, fans didn't like what they saw and took to X/Twitter to poke fun at the Cubs' starting pitcher rotation:
"All bums," one fan said.
"That is below mid," another fan quipped.
Here are a few other fan reactions:
Apart from these five pitchers, the likes of Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad, Hayden Wesneski and prospect Ben Brown could also compete for a spot in the rotation. Moreover, there's still time for Jed Hoyer and the front office to onboard another star pitcher before spring training commences.
Shota Imanaga's pitching profile
Before being posted by the Yokohama BayStars of the NPB, Shota Imanaga played eight seasons and had a career ERA of 3.18.
In the 2023 season, he allowed a 2.80 ERA across 18 innings and led the NPB with 174 strikeouts, which even topped the LA Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto. A 29.2% strikeout rate (MLB average: 22.1%), paired with a 4% walk rate, makes him a good pitcher.
The only downside with Imanaga is his age, having turned 30 last September. In an early December scouting report, Baseball America's Kyle Glaser rated him as a #4/5 starter in the rotation. With his fastball, the 5-foot-10 pitcher normally sits in the low 90s, reaching 94–95 MPH in limited intervals.
With the signing, the Cubs will owe a posting fee to his former NPB team. Moreover, it remains to be seen if the Cubs are content with this rotation or if they are looking to add another pitching addition.
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