Cubs decision to give Shota Imanaga a qualifying offer is looking worse and worse

Improving their presence in Japan has been a point of emphasis for Jed Hoyer since taking over as the Chicago Cubs' president of baseball operations, and his work has paid off with the team signing Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga during his tenure. Imanaga and Suzuki were core pieces in the Cubs' playoff run, and their success is likely what the team would point to in their recruitment of Tatsuya Imai this offseason.

As it turns out, Imai may not be interested in hearing that pitch. Speaking about his free agency, Imai didn't exactly seem too thrilled with the idea of signing with a team that already has a Japanese player on their roster. The desire seems to be derived from Imai's preference to set his own course, and not that of a team that has already established a blueprint for players making the jump to Major League Baseball.

Tatsuya Imai's surprising free agency preference may already have the Cubs behind the eight ball.

The fact that Imai revealed his preference nearly a week after Imanaga accepted his qualifying offer is comical. Fans were already afraid that Imanaga taking up $22.025MM of the Cubs' 2026 payroll commitments could lead to them not fully addressing the rotation. In a world where Imanaga, through his presence, is the reason why the Cubs can't land Imai, fans likely wouldn't be too pleased.

Of course, the Cubs still have Suzuki on their roster, but a position player in the final year of his contract likely doesn't serve as a threat to Imai's desire. If Imai truly is set on being the only Japanese player on a roster, the Cubs, in theory, could point to the fact that both Suzuki and Imanaga will be free agents next offseason.

It's an odd defense to have to offer, but the motivations of individuals are always unique.

Money could also trump all desires. Last offseason, Roki Sasaki's reported desire was to avoid signing with a Major League team in a big market. Sasaki, of course, signed with the Dodgers. Not to mention, Ima's agent, Scott Boras, will likely try to convince him that teams like the Dodgers or Cubs might be willing to spend more than a team like the Detroit Tigers or Houston Astros.

As Ted DiBiase would say, "everybody's got a price". A nine-figure check may easily make Imai forget about his desires.