Cubs Star Pitcher Shota Imanaga To Enter Free Agency After Declining Option

The Chicago Cubs are likely going to let their ace walk.

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) reacts after giving up a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have allowed the latest major offseason domino to fall with a decision that not many saw coming on Tuesday morning.

As first reported by Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the Cubs rejected their option to extend Imanaga's contract for another three seasons, which would have been worth a total of just under $60 million.

Once Chicago declined, the language in the contract presented Imanaga with a $15 million player option for 2026, which he also declined.

Breaking Cubs news: Lefty starter Shota Imanaga is a free agent, sources tell ESPN. The team rejected their option to extend his contract out to a fifth year. That triggered his ability to exercise a $15 million player option for 2026. He declined that as well.

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) November 4, 2025

It's a shocking potential end to Imanaga's tenure with the Cubs after a stellar 2024 season and a first half of the 2025 campaign that, while marred by injury, was still extremely productive. As Chicago prepares to head into the offseason, it seems they are going to have to try to replace the man who has been their ace for the last two seasons.

Imanaga Had Been Lights Out for Cubs

Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) throws in the outfield before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

In the 2024 season -- his first in Major League Baseball -- Imanaga had an ERA of 2.91 with a 1.021 WHIP and an incredible 15-3 record that saw him finish fifth in National League Cy Young voting.

Headed into 2025, the left-hander did not seem to be missing anything at all at the start of the year, although his season was partly derailed by a hamstring injury in May, which held him out until late June.

Over 12 starts in the first half of the 2025 season before the All-Star break, Imanaga had an ERA of 2.65 with a 6-3 record and 0.93 WHIP, striking out 48 with just 16 walks in 68 innings pitched. In the second half of the year, though, the wheels started to come off for him and Chicago.

Cubs Saw Different Version of Imanaga Second Half of This Season

Milwaukee Brewers Andrew Vaughn (28) hits a three-run home run off Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For as strong as the first year and a half of Imanaga's tenure with the team were, the second half of the 2025 season and the playoffs provided much concern. In 13 starts after the All-Star break, he posted an unsightly 4.70 ERA, and even though the command was still there, he was giving up way too many hard-hit balls.

The biggest problem for Imanaga was controlling his splitter that makes him so dominant, and whether this was because of lingering hamstring problems or something else cannot be known, but clearly it concerned Chicago enough to let him walk.

In the playoffs, things got even worse with an 8.10 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 6.2 innings in which he allowed six runs and eight hits, most concerningly surrendering three home runs in that period as well.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

In today's day and age, a $20 million AAV for a starting pitcher who is at the top of the rotation is more than a bargain; it's a complete steal. Chicago declining the opportunity to have Imanaga locked up at that price for the next three years speaks volumes.

Fans will not be happy, but clearly the Cubs are worried enough about the way Imanaga performed for the last several months that they were not willing to sign on for three more years.

Time will tell if that calculated risk pays off.

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