Shota Imanaga Accepts Qualifying Offer, Heading Back To Cubs For 2026

The Chicago Cubs and one of their main guys in the starting rotation, Shota Imanaga, were struggling to come to terms to keep him on the roster for next season.

The cubs seemingly didn't want to commit to three additional years, considering the price tag and how Imanaga looked towards the end of the season, and as a result, both the Cubs and Imanaga rejected their options.

The Cubs then made a qualifying offer of $22.025 million, hoping to keep him on the roster for an additional season. A wise move considering the lack of pitching options the team has right now, but also to ensure a draft pick if another team were to

And in the final minutes of the deadline today, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic was first to report that Imanaga has accepted the QO and will be returning for the 2026 season.

Imanaga throwing a pitch in a grey uniform against the Brewers in the ALC — Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Imanaga with the Cubs

In the final summer months and then again in the postseason, Imanaga was a major liability on the mound when it came to giving up home runs. By the end of the season, he was one of eight pitchers to have more than 30 home runs on their stat sheet.

And despite only pitching two games (6.2 innings) in the postseason, there were only six pitchers who had more homers than him, and all but one had pitched in more than 15 innings during their own team's playoff run.

Looking at Imanaga's career stats it seems unfathomable that the Cubs wouldn't want to keep him. However, his decline on the mound has put his value into question.

24-11 Record (eight of those losses came in 2025)
3.28 ERA
58 Home Runs
1.01 WHIP
291 Strikeouts (174 came in 2024)

Shota Imanaga | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Imanaga is good, he is great. But right now, the Cubs seem to have a major concern with how he looked towards the end of the year, and rightfully so. With the emergence of their new ace Cade Horton and Matthew Boyd still with the club until the end of 2026, the Cubs have now secured the third piece of their starting rotation.

If Imanaga looks anything like he did in 2024 or at the start of 2025, this was a great move by the Cubs. If he does not, at least they are only committed for one year and can look elsewhere at the end of 2026.

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