The next domino of the MLB free agency season has fallen. The Chicago Cubs have come to an agreement with Yokohama DeNa BayStars left-hander Shota Imanaga on a multi-year deal. The news was first reported by MLB Insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The Chicago Cubs have reached a tentative deal with Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga. He will undergo a physical in Chicago on Thursday before the deal becomes official.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 9, 2024
The Imanaga signing comes after the Cubs were shutout in the pursuit of free agent megastar Shohei Ohtani and his Samurai Japan teammate RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 30-year-old Imanaga doesn’t have quite the fanfare of Yamamoto, however, he will make for a solid middle of the rotation starter for the Cubs.
Shota Imanaga lets it all out after strikeout No. 15. pic.twitter.com/IIGmSrOVVx
— Jason Coskrey (@JCoskrey) July 7, 2023
In eight seasons with the Nippon Professional Baseball’s Central League Yokohama DeNa BayStars, Imanaga went 64-50 with a 3.16 ERA, 1,021 strikeouts, and a 1.11 WHIP. He was a two-time NPB All-Star (2019, 2023) and won the 2023 Central League strikeout title (174). Imanaga also has a no-hitter to his credit. On July 7, 2022, he struck out nine and walked one in a 2-0 BayStars win over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. More recently, Imanaga started and earned the win for Samurai Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship game.
Shota Imanaga Stats
| Year | Tm | Lg | Lev | W | L | W-L% | ERA | RA9 | G | GS | GF | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | BF | WHIP | H9 | HR9 | BB9 | SO9 | SO/W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | Fgn | 8 | 10 | .444 | 2.85 | 3.03 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 145.1 | 115 | 49 | 46 | 16 | 40 | 1 | 152 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 579 | 1.067 | 7.1 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 9.4 | 3.80 | ||
| 2017 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | Fgn | 12 | 7 | .632 | 2.86 | 2.86 | 25 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 154.0 | 117 | 49 | 49 | 13 | 53 | 2 | 146 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 621 | 1.104 | 6.8 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 8.5 | 2.75 |
| 2018 | 3 Teams | 3 Lgs | Fgn | 9 | 13 | .409 | 4.68 | 5.84 | 35 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 140.1 | 140 | 91 | 73 | 19 | 47 | 6 | 157 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 609 | 1.333 | 9.0 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 10.1 | 3.34 |
| 2019 | Yokohama | JPCL | Fgn | 13 | 7 | .650 | 2.91 | 3.12 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 170.0 | 128 | 59 | 55 | 18 | 56 | 8 | 186 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 684 | 1.082 | 6.8 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 9.8 | 3.32 | ||
| 2020 | Yokohama | JPCL | Fgn | 5 | 3 | .625 | 3.23 | 4.08 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53.0 | 47 | 24 | 19 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 63 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 224 | 1.208 | 8.0 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 10.7 | 3.71 | ||
| 2021 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | Fgn | 8 | 6 | .571 | 2.83 | 2.95 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 149.1 | 118 | 49 | 47 | 18 | 32 | 3 | 140 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 584 | 1.004 | 7.1 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 8.4 | 4.38 | ||
| 2022 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | Fgn | 12 | 4 | .750 | 2.04 | 2.10 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 158.2 | 111 | 37 | 36 | 14 | 32 | 1 | 151 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 611 | 0.901 | 6.3 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 8.6 | 4.72 | ||
| 2023 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | Fgn | 7 | 5 | .583 | 2.66 | 2.77 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 159.0 | 138 | 49 | 47 | 18 | 24 | 4 | 188 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 637 | 1.019 | 7.8 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 10.6 | 7.83 | ||
| Year | Tm | Lg | Lev | W | L | W-L% | ERA | RA9 | G | GS | GF | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | BF | WHIP | H9 | HR9 | BB9 | SO9 | SO/W |
| Fore | Fore | Foreign | 74 | 55 | .574 | 2.96 | 3.24 | 192 | 30 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 1129.2 | 914 | 407 | 372 | 118 | 301 | 26 | 1183 | 29 | 0 | 26 | 4549 | 1.076 | 7.3 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 9.4 | 3.93 | |
| NPB | NPB | NPB | 64 | 50 | .561 | 3.18 | 3.43 | 165 | 24 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 1002.2 | 841 | 382 | 354 | 114 | 280 | 26 | 1021 | 27 | 0 | 19 | 4083 | 1.118 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 9.2 | 3.65 | |
| All | All | 74 | 55 | .574 | 2.96 | 3.24 | 192 | 30 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 1129.2 | 914 | 407 | 372 | 118 | 301 | 26 | 1183 | 29 | 0 | 26 | 4549 | 1.076 | 7.3 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 9.4 | 3.93 |
The Cubs will be getting a pitcher that pounds the strike zone. Imanaga has a career 29.2% strikeout rate and career 4% walk rate. The average Major League starter has a K rate of 22.1% and a walk rate near 10%, respectively. Imanaga possesses a low-90’s fastball that can reach 94-95 MPH at times.
The one knock on Imanaga is his penchant for giving up the longball. He allowed 17 homers last season for Yokohama, the second-most by any NPB hurler, and has 0.9 career HR/9. This could become problematic in a sometimes homer friendly Wrigley Field.
Imanaga’s contract is 2-years/$30MM with multiple opt outs and escalators, according to MLB Network’s Jim Bowden. The contract can reach 4-years and upwards of $80MM with incentives and options. Bowden, a former MLB general manager, has termed the contract “very complicated.” The Cubs will owe the BayStars a posting fee in accordance with MLB and NPB’s 2018 posting agreement.
The deal will be made official pending the completion of a physical on Thursday in Chicago.
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