Shota Imanaga outperformed all expectations during his dazzling rookie season, a reminder the Chicago Cubs’ patient and disciplined approach to free agents can pay big dividends.
That sense of caution is, understandably, not what fans of a major-market team want to hear over Thanksgiving break. But with the Cubs signaling their lack of interest in doing a megadeal for Juan Soto or Corbin Burnes, this offseason might move at a different pace.
From Imanaga to Jameson Taillon to Marcus Stroman, in recent years, the Cubs have executed quality deals at the upper-middle level of pitching. Once again, league sources said, the Cubs are targeting a starter from the same tier from which they plucked Imanaga last offseason.
That’s below the expected range for Max Fried, who has already drawn interest from other big-market clubs. Fried also comes with some questions about his durability, and the Cubs have frequently avoided pitchers who have received a qualifying offer, placing a high value on their draft picks and international bonus pool money. The list of pitchers who recently declined qualifying offers also includes Nick Pivetta, Sean Manaea and Luis Severino.
However, signing a pitcher like Nathan Eovaldi to a John Lackey type of deal would not hurt the Cubs in the draft or the international signing period. In that sense, the Cubs could view Walker Buehler’s not getting a qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers as advantageous.
Now that Yusei Kikuchi has agreed to a three-year, $63 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels, his name can also be crossed off the list. Though the Cubs were intrigued by how Kikuchi reinvented himself after a midseason trade from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Houston Astros, they did not view him as a priority.
Nor did the Cubs plan to narrow their options in November to that degree. Team sources still feel the trade market might be the route the Cubs go to upgrade their rotation, with the Seattle Mariners mentioned as a potential match.
Imanaga exceeded the modest projections with a fifth-place finish in this year’s National League Cy Young Award voting. That triggered a $250,000 annual salary escalator for the duration of his contract, according to a source familiar with the terms of the complex deal. How long it runs will depend on several factors that could affect his long-term future in Chicago.
The four-year, $53 million contract that Imanaga signed last winter could stretch to a fifth year and guarantee him $81 million, as the Cy Young bonus structure remains in place for the length of the deal. Winning the award next season, for example, would mean a $1 million annual salary escalator for Imanaga. Either way, after the 2025 season, the Cubs will be faced with an interesting decision.
At that point, the Cubs can choose to lock in Imanaga for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons for a current projected cost of $57.75 million in total. If the Cubs decline that option, Imanaga would have a player option for 2026 worth $15.25 million, a figure he would easily top as a free agent, provided he remains healthy and productive.
Imanaga, 31, went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 29 starts during his All-Star season, showing an uncanny ability to make adjustments on the mound, assimilate into the clubhouse and connect with fans in Wrigleyville. The Cubs also value the credibility Imanaga helps bring to their organization for Roki Sasaki and the next generation of Japanese players.
Though Craig Counsell’s coaching staff has already undergone some changes, team sources said the Cubs are also making adjustments to the hitting side of player development. The changes come at a time when many of their top prospects are position players nearing the major-league level.
Andy Haines is returning to the organization as a minor-league hitting coordinator, a role he held for two years, beginning with the 2016 World Series campaign. Haines spent one season as Joe Maddon’s assistant hitting coach in Chicago (2018) before becoming Counsell’s hitting coach with the Milwaukee Brewers. Haines spent the past three seasons as the hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Along with the addition of Haines — a possibility first mentioned by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers on WMVP-AM 1000 — the Cubs also hired Drew Hedman as their new assistant director of hitting. Hedman replaces Will Remillard, who left to work for the Cincinnati Reds as a hitting coach on Terry Francona’s staff.
Hedman was a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks before he became the team’s run production coordinator before the 2020 season. After the Diamondbacks fired a pair of hitting coaches in the middle of the 2021 season, Hedman was promoted to assistant hitting coach on Torey Lovullo’s staff. Hedman held dual roles as Arizona’s assistant hitting coach and minor-league hitting coordinator for the last three-plus seasons.
Ben Brown has been cleared for a normal offseason throwing program, according to a team source. An unusual neck injury sidelined Brown, 25, for more than half of his rookie year — he did not pitch in a game after June 8 — denying the Cubs the chance to see one of their most promising pitchers develop.
As a swingman, Brown put up a 3.58 ERA in 55 1/3 innings, showing flashes of the ability to be either a dominating starter or a potential closer. If healthy, the Cubs will have to figure out how to manage his innings and deploy him most effectively.
(Top photo of Shota Imanaga: David Banks / Imagn Images)
