"Guy is filthy" - Justin Steele mesmerized by new Cubs teammate Shota Imanaga's bullpen workout

Owing to a terrific season on the bump, Cubs ace Justin Steele was awarded his first All-Star nod, as well as a top-five finish in NL Cy Young voting in 2023. Now, a big new teammate of Steele's looks set to give the 28-year-old a run for his money as the team's top arm.

On January 11, famed Japanese ace Shota Imanaga signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the Cubs. A former NPB strikeout champ, Imanaga is expected to be one of the hottest rookies in MLB next season.

"Safe to say Justin Steele was impressed by the Cubs’ new lefty" - B/R Walk-Off

Recently, Justin Steele remarked on Imanaga's pitching skills after a Chicago Cubs bullpen session at their spring training ground in Arizona. Steele joked that he was on eBay looking for Imanaga cards, and referred to his new rotational counterpart as "filthy."

Last season, Steele hit career highs in virtually every single pitching category. The Mississippi-native went 16-5, throwing to a 3.06 ERA across 173 innings on the bump, spread across 30 starts. Still under arbitration, Steele is not set to become a free agent until 2028.

Shota Imanaga's deal with the Cubs came in the wake of pitching star Marcus Stroman's announcement that he would opt out of the second and final year of his deal in Chicago. Stroman would later sign with the New York Yankees, creating the need for a star arm in the Windy City.

"Shota Imanaga now has 6 double-digit strikeout games in 2023, tying his 2019 total" - Yakyu Cosmopolitan

A member of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars since 2016, Imanaga has risen to become one of the top names in Japan's NPB. Although the 30-year-old, who owns a career 2.96 ERA for the BayStars, has been used as a reliever in NPB, he looks set to make the move to a starting role with the Cubs.

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Justin Steele's Shota Imanaga comments are yet another example of Japanese baseball dominance

With the Los Angeles Dodgers committing over $1 billion to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani this offseason, Japanese MLB players have never been more in-vogue.

In Chicago, Imanaga will join countryman Seiya Suzuki, alongside Justin Steele and many others who look to recapture the magic of the team's 2016 World Series win. For now, Cubs fans can rest assured that Shota Imanaga will be showing his best stuff for his new team this season.