Shōta Imanaga appears headed to the Windy City.
The Japanese left-hander has reached a deal with the Chicago Cubs, according to multiple reports on Tuesday. Imanaga will undergo a physical with the team on Thursday, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, when his 45-day posting window is set to close at 2 p.m. PT.
The Chicago Cubs have reached a tentative deal with Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga. He will undergo a physical in Chicago on Thursday before the deal becomes official.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 9, 2024
Shota Imanaga has a deal with the Cubs @BNightengale 1st
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 10, 2024
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported, citing sources, that Imanaga’s deal will be for multiple years with an average annual value in the range of $15 million.
Imanaga, 30, joins MLB after eight seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league. He sported a 3.18 ERA and recorded 1,021 strikeouts over 1,002.2 career NPB innings.
The Giants reportedly were among the teams to register interest in Imanaga. But MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported earlier Tuesday that San Francisco wasn’t a finalist for the southpaw.
