Although he may not be the best or the most talked about Japanese pitcher on the market, Shota Imanaga would still be a strong addition to the Cubs rotation.
The Cubs have been rumored to be in on a lot of different pitchers this off-season. They include the likes of Ohtani, Yamamoto, Burnes, and Woodruff. For the most part, we know or have heard a lot about all of these guys. However, there is one guy who is flying under the radar the Cubs have reportedly been targeting and that is another Japanese pitcher coming to the states who was just recently posted, Shota Imanaga.
Earlier this offseason we got some confirmation of that from Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Here’s what he had to say:
The Cubs are also in on Japanese pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga — the latter has already spent time in Chicago — according to sources familiar with the situation.
So, what does Imanaga bring to the table that makes him an appealing target for the Cubs? For one, he has been one of the best and most consistent pitchers in the NPB over his eight seasons. He has a career ERA of 2.96, a K/9 of 9.4, and a career WHIP of 1.08. He is also a two-time All-Star and led his league in strikeouts just this past season in 2023. You might be led to believe by those stats and awards he’s a big overpowering hurler who throws 98+ mph and blows guys away. However, that is not the case.
Shota Imanaga possess a deep six pitch mix. His four seamer generally sits in the low to mid 90s and he throws if over half of the time. It has a lot of carry through the zone helping it keep its line and appear harder than it actually is. That is a very similar trait of Justin Steele. His sweeper/slider combo are his next most used pitches. He throws both depending on needing a strike or looking for a chase. His splitter is next and has been a great strikeout pitch for him. To round of the repitore, he has a change-up, a curveball, and a cutter. All are thrown less than 10% of the time.
His biggest strength as a pitcher is his sequencing and pitchability. He is able to mix and match all his offering to be able to keep hitters guessing. However, he isn’t the perfect pitcher. His biggest flaw is he does give up alot of long balls. Over his career, he has given up one every nine innings. His home run problem in the NPB will only worsen when he moves to the states and faces superior competition.
That long ball problem and the fact Shota Imanaga is already 30 are two of the major reasons he hasn’t been as highly sought after as Yamamoto. Even still, he is still worth a look. In all fairness, had he come to the States a different offseason when he wasn’t competing with Yamamoto and Ohtani for headlines, the hype behind Shota Imanaga would be much higher? Absolutely. He has just been overshadowed by a possible Cy Young candidate and possibly the greatest baseball player of all time.
Other than the fact he is a good pitcher, his lower price tag makes him very appealing. He won’t be commanding the massive 150-200+ million other pitchers on the market might. Instead, he could have a contract much more manageable. Possibly somewhere in the range of 5yr/75mil like fellow countryman, Kodai Senga, received last offseason, but his price has reportedly been rising as of late and could get into nine figures. With the need for an arm, the Cubs should be targeting and tracking the market for Shota Imanaga as he would look nice penciled into their rotation now and into the future.
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