Shota Imanaga pours his heart out to Cubs fans with an offseason goodbye feeling necessary

The 2026 Chicago Cubs' season didn't end in the way anyone wanted. After two lifeless games against the San Diego Padres in the wild card after a rough September, the Cubs will be spending October at home. The highest-scoring offense in baseball broke at the worst time after a season of injuries and inconsistency. For the fans, this may be goodbye to a few faces that have been staples of the team in the post-World Series era, with Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Carson Kelly, Matthew Boyd, and more ticketed for free agency.

Among those potentially heading out the door is Shota Imanaga. The Japanese lefty's time in Chicago has been a bit of a roller coaster. His first year endeared him to Cubs fans as he burst onto the scene with a 2.91 ERA and 3.72 FIP, including an eight-start stretch to open his major league career that mirrored the heights of Fernandomania. 2025, however, left something to be desired. A hamstring injury limited him slightly, and although he had a solid 3.73 ERA, his home run woes undermined whatever success he found and culminated in a 4.70 ERA in the second half. Craig Counsell's refusal to use him in Game 5 of the NLDS spoke volumes.

Were it not for the qualifying offer, Imanaga would've been out the door last offseason, but the two sides stuck together for another year of mixed results. The long ball problem persisted to the point where he tied with Jeffrey Springs for second-most in baseball at 35. However, regaining his velocity brought his strikeout rate back up, and he finished the year strong with a 2.25 ERA in 24 innings in September. That inconsistency is likely to make this season's goodbye a final one.

After Game 2 ended and the Cubs were eliminated, Imanaga spoke with the media and delivered a heartfelt message to the fans that certainly feels like the end. He reflected on his memorable introduction at Cubs Convention in 2024, the greeting he practiced, and the love he felt from the Wrigley faithful through good times and bad.

Imanaga was the right signing at the right time, but Cubs must move on

Jed Hoyer's pitching acquisitions have left a lot to be desired in recent years, but credit where it is due — Imanaga was a worthwhile move. The contract, which guaranteed $53 million over four years, was modest for a pitcher who still found plenty of success and helped power this team back to relevance. Wins aren't everything, but his Cubs tenure will close with a strong 35-21 record and a 3.45 ERA. He accomplished that and an All-Star Game appearance, all while becoming a fan favorite.

But it's time for a fresh start. The front office faces a tough task this offseason in rebuilding a pitching staff with many empty slots and even more question marks, yet they need to aim higher for starters who can be trusted in big games. Maybe that's not Tarik Skubal, but the next level down should be in play. Perhaps that's Michael King, who overcame injury concerns to fire 185 innings of 3.21 ERA and 4.13 FIP ball and dominate the Cubs in the postseason, or it's Trevor Rogers, who's only heading into his age-29 season and overcame a brutal start to post a more promising 4.03 ERA and 3.45 FIP.

The Cubs could also go back to the well of Japanese pitchers. After all, they need to keep that pipeline of international stars open, and they do have a chance to find another star for relatively cheap, like Imanaga. Arms like Kaima Taira and Hiromi Itoh could be high on their shopping list. Revisiting a trade for someone like Reid Detmers has to be on the table too.

It ultimately doesn't matter what path Hoyer and company choose. They just need to be more ambitious, and they need to be right. This Cubs team can't be in contention for least-valuable pitching staff and most home runs surrendered again. In their search to improve, it's bound to be "thanks for the memories" to Imanaga.

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