Shota Imanaga makes Cubs decision to move on from Kris Bryant look even smarter

Shota Imanaga could not have done much better in his Chicago Cubs debut. Plucked as the home opener starter, Imanaga got a chance to show Cubs fans, in person, what he's all about on the mound after impressing them at Cubs Convention with his singing during the winter.

Imanaga pitched six scoreless innings, his first start logged as a quality start. He logged nine strikeouts.

One of those strikeouts against the Colorado Rockies? Kris Bryant.

Kris Bryant departure was painful for Cubs fans, but the right call

The storyline on Monday will be all about Imanaga's dominance, especially if the Cubs can ultimately pull out a win in a rainy one against the Rockies. He may have been helped by some wind, but the Cubs were up against the same conditions and scored two before their time at the plate in the seventh inning.

The sub-text focuses on Kris Bryant, though, who faced off against the Cubs, the team he helped win a World Series in 2016. As of this writing, Bryant is 0-for-2 with a strikeout at the hands of Imanaga. One Cubs era metaphorically handing over to the next, if you will.

Coming into the day, Bryant has yet to log a 2024 hit in 10 at-bats, and has also only worked one walk. He hasn't had a chance to show what he can do in the thin air of Denver yet this season, though, with the Rockies opening the year on the road in Arizona and then coming to Chicago.

Bryant's bat should come around. So far this year he's still ranking well in exit velo, but the balls have not fallen in locations that could earn him a hit. Still, it's clear the Cubs were right to move on from Bryant and start looking toward the future. Fans will never forget 2016, but all eras come to an end.