The Cubs have made their first impact this winter by agreeing to Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga pending a medical, sources told MLB Network correspondent John Paul Morosi on Tuesday night.
Chicago’s Northern team didn’t make any noise this offseason other than hiring Craig Counsell as its manager, but with Imanaga they’ve added a luxury starter to the rotation.
Imanaga was placed in the post system by the Yokohama DNA Bestars, which gave him a major league opportunity after eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Although Imanga hasn’t made as much of a splash as his compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 30-year-old left-hander is an excellent pitcher in his own right and has been touted as a potential second or third starter in the majors.
Using a four-pitch mix including a fastball, splitter, slider and curveball, Imanga had a 3.18 ERA in 1,002.2 career innings in Japan.
Major League fans got a good look at Imanga when he pitched for his country in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. After solid performances against South Korea in the group stage and Italy in the quarterfinals, Imanga started and won the decisive game against the United States. team
