Cubs, Starting Pitcher Shota Imanaga Agree to One-Year Deal

Imanaga accepted Chicago's qualifying offer on Tuesday.

Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga has agreed to a one-year deal to return to Chicago. / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Cubs and starting pitcher Shota Imanaga have agreed to a one-year deal, according to a report from Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.

Imanaga accepted Chicago's qualifying offer prior to Tuesday's deadline, and will be paid $22.025 million next season in his third year with the Cubs.

Since arriving to the majors from Japan in 2024, Imanaga has posted a career ERA of 3.28 across 54 starts. He has struck out 291 batters and walked 54 across 318.0 innings pitched. He's 24-11 as a starting pitcher.

Imanaga's best season came as a rookie in 2024, when he went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA en route to making his first All-Star team. The 2025 season proved to be a bit more rocky for Imanaga, who accumulated a 3.73 ERA across 144.2 innings pitched.

Despite the down year, the Cubs felt strongly enough about Imanaga to try to bring him back into the fold in 2026. Even if the 32-year-old can split the difference in his production between year one and year two, he will be a massive part of Chicago's starting rotation next season.

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