Tigers eyeing Shota Imanaga in free agency with perk Cubs, Wrigley Field can't offer

All signs point to Shota Imanaga and the Chicago Cubs going in different directions this winter. The front office may not have fully closed the door on a reunion, but it's clear that bringing the left-hander back isn't a top priority.

At this point, the primary team linked to Imanaga in free agency rumors has been the San Francisco Giants, another club in dire need of pitching help, as its rotation ranked 24th in ERA last year. That makes sense given the Giants call cavernous Oracle Park home, which could help offset some of Imanaga's noted struggles with the long ball.

But we now have a new entrant into the sweepstakes, with Scott Harris and the Detroit Tigers reportedly having interest in Imanaga's services.

Comerica Park is not as pitcher-friendly as Oracle, but it played more to the arms than Wrigley Field did in 2026. The Friendly Confines were the sixth-most hitter-friendly park in the league this year. Comerica, meanwhile, ranked 25th (San Francisco was 28th). Looking longer-term, it grades out as a neutral site, but I wonder if teams that call hitters' havens home might steer clear of Imanaga this winter.

Pitching dominoes yet to fall as MLB lockout looms in matter of weeks

Tarik Skubal is set to meet with multiple teams next week, and he is expected to sign before the anticipated Dec. 2 lockout. The GM Meetings were relatively quiet, with Emilio Pagan and Evan Phillips, a pair of late-inning relievers, the only notable free-agent signings this week.

The Cubs continue to scour the market, desperate to rebuild a rotation that measures up to a defense and offense that both set the bar in baseball in 2026. General manager Carter Hawkins acknowledged that the front office is checking in on pretty much every pitcher outside of Skubal, and it's clear they're aware of how tall the task they face is.

“There’s certainly uncertainty,” he said this week.“We’ve made no secret that we’re going to be looking for pitching this offseason. That’s what the majority of our conversations in the first three hours of the offseason here today have been, and I imagine it’s what a lot of conversations on the trade front will be.”

Addressing that uncertainty is the end-all, be-all for the Cubs this winter. But all signs point to Imanaga not being part of the solution crafted by Hawkins and Jed Hoyer, as rumors continue to swirl.

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