“I am by no means a finished product" - Cubs' new pitcher Shota Imanaga believes there's a lot more to learn for him

Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga and the Chicago Cubs agreed on a reported four-year, $53 million contract, with a club option to make the deal a five-year, $80 million contract. On Thursday, Imanaga and the Cubs put pen and paper to their contract. In his first media interaction, Imanaga grabbed the attention of the Chicago audience.

His first words were:

“Hey Chicago, what do you say? Cubs are gonna win today.”

He also mentioned that he chose to opt for the No. 18 jersey to honor the legacy of 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist. Adding to the conversation, he said that he feels at home in Chicago.

“I visited downtown and also other areas,” Imanaga said via his interpreter, Shingo Murata. “This is my first time in Chicago, but there are similarities of Japan. And in some ways I kind of want to say, ‘tadaima,’ which is something we say when we come home.” [via MLB.com].

“I am by no means a finished product and there's a lot for me to learn,” Imanaga said.

“To Cubs fans,” Imanaga said. “I'm going to do my best to contribute to the Cubs winning the World Series. I look forward to meeting you at Wrigley Field.”

What did Shota Imanaga's Cubs colleagues say about him?

Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said that he has a sense of humor based on what he gathered from his interesting press conference.

“He had a nice introduction,” Nico Hoerner said. “It seems like he's got a good sense of humor, so that's a good start. And then obviously he has a great skillset that our front office really believes in, and I'm excited to get to know him and his game better.”

The newly recruited Cubs manager, Craig Counsell, gushed about the 30-year-old pitcher's skillset and NPB performances.

“What excites me is, one, what he has accomplished already,” Craig Counsell said. “And then just in like everything that I've watched, and when you look through kind of the statline, it's just like this is a very skilled pitcher.”

Imanaga will join the Cubs' rotation, which includes lefty Justin Steele and righties Jameson Taillon and Kyle Hendricks.