Cubs fans can count on these 3 players still being around after the trade deadline

Shota Imanaga has the makings of an all-time free agent steal

The Cubs' lone All-Star representative is playing on one of the more unique free-agent contracts in recent memory. Shota Imanaga has a four-year, $53 million deal - but after the '25 and '26 campaigns, Chicago can extend the deal to five years and $80 million. If they don't exercise that option (which at this point seems unlikely, but a lot can happen between now and then), he can opt out of his deal at that time.

Even at five years and $80 million, Imanaga could be a steal for Hoyer and the front office. The left-hander has proven he can match up with front-of-the-rotation starters with a unique plan of attack for opposing hitters, and he could be a stabilizing presence on the pitching staff for years to come.

The Cubs could soon feature the likes of Ben Brown and Cade Horton in the rotation, marking a major turnaround for an organization that famously failed to develop impact arms under Theo Epstein. You can get creative with out-of-the-box trade ideas for Steele and Taillon, but there's no world where Imanaga gets dealt this summer.