On Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs announced they had reached a tentative deal with Japanese free-agent pitcher Shota Imanaga. The agreement is pending a physical, which Imanaga will undergo on Tuesday in Chicago.
The terms of the deal have yet to be mentioned, but it is an excellent addition for the Cubs. Aside from naming Craig Counsell the new manager for the 2024 season and beyond, they have not made much noise this offseason.
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Imanaga should instantly boost the team’s rotation. He is coming off the two best seasons of his career in Japan, throwing over 140 innings and compiling ERAs under 2.81.
He has no problem keeping opposing hitters from barreling up balls. Imanaga led the NPB in strikeout rate and was the strikeout leader in the Central League. This will be a nice change of scenery for a team that has relied heavily on groundball pitchers.
What does Shota Imanaga bring to the Cubs’ rotation?
World Baseball Classic Championship: United States v Japan
While not big in size, Shota Imanaga makes up for it with his command, pitch repertoire, and movement. He has multiple pitches he can go to in his arsenal, making for an extremely tough at-bat.
Imanaga throws his fastball most of the time, which sits at 92 mph. He has great command of the pitch and can hurt opposing batters up and down in the zone. He pairs that with his tight slider that he can also mimic as a sweeper.
His splitter is likely his most intriguing pitch. Given baseballs in the MLB and NPB are different, it will be interesting to see how well this pitch translates to the big leagues. The other pitches he throws are a curveball, cutter, and changeup.
Look for him to act as one of the Cubs’ aces as they try to contend for a World Series title.
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Edited by Jared “Bloomy” Bloom