Cubs' Imanaga Accepts $22.025M Qualifying Offer

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga has accepted a one-year qualifying offer worth $22.025 million and will return to the team for the 2026 season, the club announced on Tuesday. The 32-year-old left-hander, who joined the Cubs from Japan ahead of the 2024 campaign, opted to stay in Chicago rather than enter free agency, providing stability to the team's rotation.

Imanaga's decision follows a series of offseason moves that initially suggested a potential split. The Cubs declined a three-year club option earlier this winter that would have paid him $57.75 million from 2026 through 2028. Imanaga then turned down his own $15.25 million player option for 2026, making him a free agent. However, the qualifying offer, tendered by the Cubs to secure draft pick compensation if he signed elsewhere, proved appealing. It guarantees him more than the player option amount while allowing him to test the market again after next season without attached compensation.

Since signing a four-year, $53 million contract with options in January 2024, Imanaga has compiled a 24-11 record with a 3.28 ERA over 54 starts and 318 innings pitched. His rookie year was standout: he went 15-3 with a 2.91...