Cubs Land Ace Despite Having Bigger Offers from Other Teams
The offseason for the Chicago Cubs was a slow one until Tuesday night when they signed Shota Imanaga. The Japanese pitcher was one of the most sought-after pitchers in baseball this offseason and he landed during a time the Cubs needed it most.
Fans started to get worried and rightfully so. It was a slow offseason and for the most part, has been around the league. However, up until Tuesday night, Chicago had made one move to their big league roster this offseason.
The work isn't done here for the front office but it brings peace to everyone that they're trying to make this team as talented as possible heading into 2024.
This move was a must for the Cubs as they needed to land someone. Whatever they had to do, it needed to be done. According to Jon Heyman, Chicago reportedly got him on a team-friendly deal. Heyman says that there was one team that reportedly was willing to more than double what the Cubs offered. It's uncertain why he took that big of a pay cut, but Jed Hoyer and the rest of the front office won't ask any questions.
Perhaps there's another move in the works and Imanaga wanted to play for a team that can compete for a World Series. Imanaga leaving more money in Chicago's pocket opens up the possibility of spending more on other free agents.
This was a huge first step in the offseason and there needs to be much more moving forward. They have a chance to compete in the NL Central and if they make the postseason, anything can happen.
