Cubs rumors: How much left to spend on Bellinger? Pitcher whiff, Imanaga chase six years in the making, more
- An up and coming Cubs rookie appears to be considering a position change
- The Shota Imanaga signing is a tale of determined pursuit
- Cubs failed to land Brent Suter
- Cody Bellinger back to the Cubs feels possible, but how much do they have to spend?
By Josh Wilson
The Cubs have been after their newest signing for several years
Shota Imanaga became an instant favorite when the newest starting pitcher in Chicago introduced himself by reciting the words to the Cubs' fight song.
Imanaga signed and was introduced at Cubs Convention, a celebration of Cubs fandom and the offseason opportunity for fans to see current and past Cubs players and team members, which only heightens the excitement for him joining the team.
The organization is rightly excited about Imanaga as well, as the team has been in pursuit of him for six years, back to 2018, when Chicago started scouting him.
Last year, the big get was Jameson Taillon. After a few great years with the Yankees, Taillon struggled to get it going with the Cubs, but came around in the second half of the season. Imanaga really evolved his stuff in 2023 and sounds excited to build on it in 2024 with a new team and in a new country.