Cubs aren’t ready to completely rule out another reunion with Shota Imanaga

There's nothing like taking yourself out of the running for the top guy at a position you desperately need to address as soon as the GM Meetings begin. Even so, that's exactly what Jed Hoyer did, with the Chicago Cubs expected to remain on the sidelines of the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes this winter.

Where, then, is Hoyer focused? Once again, on a more price-savvy group of arms, as Chicago hones in on starting pitchers who possess strong strikeout numbers and/or above-average groundball rates. You may have to squint a bit to see it, but one arm who could fit that criteria is left-hander Shota Imanaga.

Cubs insider Sahadev Sharma ran through a lengthy list of free-agent arms and, specifically when it comes to Imanaga, he pointed out that the strikeout rate is where the Cubs like it and, 'at the right price', the two sides could find their way back to one another. It seems clear, though, that the front office has no intention of overextending itself to bring back Imanaga.

Imanaga has spent the last three seasons - the entirety of his MLB career - with the Cubs. After a back-and-forth last offseason, Hoyer extended a qualifying offer to Imanaga, and he accepted, bringing him back into the fold for 2026. The southpaw put together a strong showing, firing a career-high 174 1/3 innings and working to a 3.77 ERA in 32 starts.

Shota Imanaga's home run issues aren't going away anytime soon

Home runs were, again, a major issue and are definitely the biggest knock on Imanaga in free agency. Many believe he could land in San Francisco, where their cavernous ballpark could keep a few more of those fly balls in the yard than a place like Wrigley Field. Despite his long-ball tendencies, though, Imanaga finished the year on a high note, seeming to peak at the right time.

Over his final five starts, Imanaga posted a 2.25 ERA, punching out 26 in 24 innings of work. Once the playoffs hit, though, he was on the outside looking in. Sure, he was on the roster, but the Cubs never turned to him in their two-game sweep at the hands of the Padres in the Wild Card Round. After his blow-up on the mound last fall, it's hard to think there's a ton of trust there on the Cubs' part.

Even so, this team needs arms - plural - and if the numbers line up, you could do far worse than someone like Imanaga toward the back of the rotation. The market is expected to pick up steam soon and we'll see where the Japanese left-hander's next steps take him.

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