Cubs Rumors: Chicago finally wakes up with massive signing expected

Chicago Cubs fans waited anxiously to see what big moves were on the horizon for the team after they signed manager Craig Counsell away from the rival Milwaukee Brewers. But, none were made. Although they were linked to Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they lost out to the Los Angeles Dodgers. So Cubs fans were wondering if team president Jed Hoyer had gone into hibernation.

Well, the Cubs have seemingly made a move. A big one at that.

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Cubs have reached a tentative agreement with Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga on a contract. Imanaga is scheduled to undergo a physical on Thursday in Chicago.

According to The Athletic's Patrick Mooney, there was no formal agreement in place, and both the Cubs and Imanaga would work through the contract details.

But, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported that the expectation is that the contract will be for multiple years with an average annual salary in the $15 million range.

Shota Imanaga and Cubs expected to reach an agreement on a contract

Imanaga spent the majority of his career playing for Nippon Professional Baseball's Yokohama DeNA BayStars, beginning in 2016. The left-handed pitcher made it to the NPB All-Star Game twice (2019, 2023), and was the Central League's strikeout leader this past season with 174.

This past season, Imanaga recorded a 2.80 ERA, a 1.054 WHIP, a 7-4 win-loss record, and 24 walks in 148.0 innings pitched. In his eight seasons, Imanaga recorded a 3.18 ERA, a 1.118 WHIP, a 64-50 win-loss record, 1,021 strikeouts, and 280 walks in 1,002.2 innings.

The Cubs desperately needed to bolster the rotation, especially after Marcus Stroman opted out of his contract. The team had Kyle Hendricks leading the rotation, followed by Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Javier Assad. An addition needed to be made to bring the rotation to five arms.

The clock was ticking, as Imanaga's 45-day posting window officially closed on Thursday, Jan. 11. If a deal does get done, Imanaga will be the Cubs' first big move of the offseason. Where do the Cubs go afterwards to help improve their chances of contending in 2024 after narrowly missing out on the postseason in 2023?