What the Chicago Cubs rotation could look like after adding Shota Imanaga

The Chicago Cubs have landed starting pitcher Shota Imanaga, effectively filling the gap left when Marcus Stroman opted out of his player option for 2024.

The team may have been able to skirt by without adding a starter since they boast fairly extensive starting pitching depth in Drew Smyly, Hayden Wesneski and Javier Assad, with others like Ben Brown and Cade Horton on the way. But Imanaga's addition gives a certain sense of security and stability to the rotation and I think there's a solid chance he will emerge as the team's second or third-best starter behind Justin Steele. With that being said, here is what I think the Cubs' rotation will look like at the start of the season after adding Imanaga to the mix.

1. Justin Steele

There's little question that Justin Steele is the undisputed ace of this staff. Over his 30 starts in 2023, Steele compiled 173.1 innings pitched with a 3.06 ERA and 176 strikeouts. This was by far the best performance of the Cubs pitching staff and the 28-year-old was even in the Cy Young conversation up until the last month of the season.

It's hard to imagine anyone else getting the opening day nod other than Steele. I just hope he can continue his dominance because everyone is expecting him to lead this rotation in a commanding fashion. I'm not saying he has to go out and actually win a Cy Young, but if he can stay healthy and come close to his numbers from 2023, I'll be happy.

2. Shota Imanaga

As I said, my initial reaction is to slot Imanaga into the second rotation spot. He has excellent swing-and-miss stuff having struck out 188 batters in 159 innings in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization last year. Imanaga has also traditionally had great command of his pitches making his ERA numbers very stellar (2.66 last year). I would expect that number to balloon a bit given the caliber of hitters will be generally superior in MLB, but hopefully Imanaga can continue to utilize his great command.

With all that being said, I like what I'm seeing in Imanaga's stats and film. His five-pitch mix yields a lot of strikeouts, which is something the Cubs definitely could use more of. He is also a lefty who relies heavily on his slider and splitter in addition to his fastball, with a cutter and curveball in his back pocket. The pitch mix and command from the left side make him a pitcher you don't really see too often and I think his presence in this rotation will work well with the Cubs' strong defense.

At 30 years old, Imanaga also brings a lot of experience to the table, but at a much cheaper contract than Yoshinobu Yamamoto's monster $325 million deal. All in all, this looks like a solid move by the Cubs that will make them more competitive in the division.

3. Jameson Taillon

Jameson Taillon will be the highest-paid pitcher on the Cubs staff this year, making $18 million in the second year of his four-year contract. But his overall performance in his initial year left much to be desired after a 4.84 ERA. Although he was better in the second half, it's hard to trust Taillon right now until he puts together a string of solid starts without getting shelled.

That being said, there is a pattern of starters struggling in their first year of a new contract. Jon Lester, Yu Darvish, and Tyler Chatwood all had suspect first years in Chicago with the first two settling down in subsequent seasons. Hopefully, Taillon takes after Lester instead of someone like Chatwood because he is under contract for three more seasons and he's earning a steep paycheck. The Cubs need him to step up and be a reliable piece to compete so all eyes will be on him from the jump.

4. Kyle Hendricks

I still have faith that Kyle Hendricks will be a valuable member of the rotation. After suffering a capsular tear in July of 2022, there weren't many people expecting him to go back to his trademark style. There were certainly bad outings, but Hendricks also turned in 12 quality starts out of the 24 games he took the mound. There was a solid chance that every time he went out there, Hendricks gave the chance to win the ball game.

And that's honestly all you can ask for from a guy who just turned 34 years old. Unfortunately, Hendricks' best years are likely behind him but he can still provide value. The Cubs were confident enough to exercise his club option, which will give Hendricks a $16.5 million paycheck this year. He has never relied on velocity throughout his career, so if he can hold onto his signature command, being the number four or five starter is a realistic expectation for him in my opinion.