Cubs Reportedly Sign Japan’s Shota Imanaga to Multi-Year Deal
The Chicago Cubs’ off-season spending has finally begun.
After sitting on the sidelines for much of the winter, the franchise appears to be on the verge of completing its first signing, with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reporting Tuesday night that they’ve agreed to a contract with free agent Shota Imanaga.
Imanaga, whose 45-day posting window closes at 5 pm ET on Thursday, is expected to undergo a physical with team doctors before his contract becomes finalized.
The 30-year-old pitcher spent the last eight seasons in Japan’s NPB, serving as a front-line starter for the Yokohama BayStars. He was also a member of last spring’s WBC-winning Team Japan, who defeated Team USA in the championship game.
In addition to Chicago, the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels were rumoured to be among the finalists bidding on the veteran left-hander’s services.
While the exact details regarding Imanaga’s deal remain unknown, several outlets have reported its complexity, as it’s believed to include multiple player/club options and incentives that could increase the total value to $80 million.
It’s believed to be a two-year guarantee, with an average annual value worth approximately $15 million per season, first reported by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
If proven accurate, that $30 million figure would fall considerably below much of the industry’s expectations, with recent reports suggesting his deal could rise as lucrative as $100 million. And some were confident his demands would surpass that threshold.
One factor that may have impacted Imanaga’s market could’ve been his age, which will see him turn 31 next September. Another might have been his concerns with avoiding the long ball, as he surrendered the second-most home runs (17) in the NPB last season.
Either way, he’ll come in well shy of his fellow countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 12-year, $325-million contract signed with the Dodgers last month.
As part of Imanaga’s expected deal with the Cubs, the organization will owe a posting fee to his former BayStars club, per MLB’s posting system agreement. Here’s how his contract will be broken up: 20% for the first $25 million ($5M), 17.5% for the next $25 million ($4.375M) and 15% for any remaining amount.
The 5-foot-10 hurler logged just over 1,000 career innings in his eight NPB seasons, posting a 3.18 ERA and 64-50 record. He racked up 1,021 strikeouts during that time leading to a 25% K rate.
Last season, Imanaga led all NPB pitchers with 174 punchouts while posting a 2.80 ERA across 148.0 innings in 22 starts. On top of that, he dazzled to a 4% walk rate, showcasing his impeccable control of the strike zone.
Most scouts view the two-time NPB All-Star as a middle-of-the-rotation starter as he transitions from Japan to North America. His arsenal includes two above-average offerings: a low-90s fastball – which tops out in the 94-95 m.p.h. range – and a splitter that complements it with his north-south approach.
MLB hitters, however, likely won’t struggle against his less-than-inspiring breaking balls, a low-80s slider and a low-70s curveball.
Even so, Imanaga is an impact signing for Chicago, as he figures to replace free agent Marcus Stroman, slotting in behind ace Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon. He’ll also be joined by Kyle Hendricks and one of Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad, Ben Brown, Caleb Kilian or Hayden Wesneski – a group slated to compete for the No. 5 spot next spring.
The Cubs could also explore adding a veteran arm to that competition before next season, especially with a handful of experienced hurlers available in free agency.
Beyond the pitching market, it’s fair to wonder if the front office will now turn its attention to the position player front, with marquee bats Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman still up for grabs.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: ぽこ太郎. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.