"Shōta Imanaga's sweeper was his best pitch this past season, so it makes sense that his camp is putting some spin on his second-half performance as he heads to free agency. While there are still some procedural details to work out that could keep the lefty in Chicago for 2026 and even further, the Cubs declined their three-year extension option and he turned down a $15 million guarantee for next season."
"He can't negotiate with other teams until after 4pm CT on Thursday, which is also the deadline for teams to extend qualifying offers to eligible players, but his reps already appear to be burnishing his image. Imanaga allowed 31 homers, tied for fourth-most in MLB, despite pitching only 144.2 innings for the Cubs. A whopping 20 of those dingers came over his last 12 regular-season starts, followed by three more in two postseason appearances."
Shōta Imanaga's sweeper remained his best pitch while his camp emphasizes his improved second half as he approaches free agency. The Cubs declined a three-year extension and Imanaga rejected a $15 million guarantee for next season, with negotiation restricted until after the qualifying-offer deadline. Imanaga allowed 31 homers (tied for fourth in MLB) in 144.2 innings, including 20 during his final 12 regular-season starts and three in two postseason appearances. A hamstring strain sidelined him nearly eight weeks and his results after returning were mixed, showing both a 3-1 stretch with a 2.31 ERA and earlier inconsistency that led to non-use in Game 5 NLCS. Picking up his option would have triggered a full no-trade clause, contributing to the decision to decline.
Read at Cubsinsider
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