Shōta Imanaga Gone? | Cubs Decline Option | Cubs Baseball Channel

Shōta Imanaga Gone? | Cubs Decline Option | Cubs Baseball Channel

Shota Imanaga could be done with the Cubs. He is now a free agent. We’re going to talk about that. Just a quick popup show because the Cubs 2024 Allstar pitcher is uh probably done with the Cubs. We’ll get into that right here on the Cubs baseball channel. Like, subscribe, thumbs up, hit the bell, get in the comments section. This is why we do it when something breaks. Jumping on and talking about it. [Music] What [Applause] [Music] do you say everybody? Mick Gillespie Cubs baseball channel and uh today it is official. Shota Ianaga becomes a free agent reported by our friend Jesse Rogers. And Shota uh basically was too expensive, right, for what the Cubs felt like they were going to get back for him. Um Shota would have gotten a huge payout had the Cubs picked up the option uh on his contract and then he had an opportunity to uh to swing back and do the same thing. Right. So, if the Cubs would have taken the the uh opportunity to sign him, he would have uh received a huge amount of money, right? Uh then he could have swung back and done kind of the same thing and the Cubs would have uh had to take him, right? Because he had he had that option for the uh you know, for the season, right? So, uh they can still extend a qualifying offer to Shota. Not sure if if that’s going to happen, but 2024 all-star uh he was fifth in the National League Sai Young award voting in 24 and that’s when he was 15 and three and he had a 291 erra. This year uh started out good and then just kind of fell off. Ended up 9 and 8 with a 373 RA. I think the concerning part of it was that from July 25th to the end of the season, he made 12 starts and he had a 517 earned run average. Uh, and his strikeout rate uh was was actually kind of getting better towards the end of the year, but he just kept giving up so many home runs. And when I was thinking about like what the Cubs were going to do with Shota, the fact that he could have pitched the last game against Milwaukee and decided not to told me that the Cubs were going to have to make a tough decision here. So basically, if they would have picked up his option, it would have been worth $57 million, would have went from 26 to 28. And then when they declined that, Shota could come back and he could have taken his player option which would have been worth 15 million for 26 and and he decided not to do that. So that’s kind of where things are with CHA. Uh the Cubs can make a qualifying offer. Uh who knows if that’s going to happen. More what’s more likely is both go a different direction. Maybe he goes somewhere like San Francisco where the ball doesn’t fly out as much and um he can give up those fly balls and they’re outs and and the Cubs would get a compensation pick if somebody signs him. So, uh pretty interesting. You know, when you start to like do the math on the Cubs rotation, it it was another thing where you’re kind of looking at it and you’re going, “Okay, well, you got Justin Steel is going to be back at some point. already see him working. You got Kade Horton who uh is going to be the rookie of the year coming up here in a few days. Amazing. Uh Jameson Tyone was excellent down the stretch. He’s going to be in the rotation and and you know what? Matthew Boyd, you know, and then you’re like, do you go out and sign someone? Seems like the Cubs really like Dylan CE, but there’s been a bunch of names banned back and forth and they have done a pretty good job with building the rotation. Brand Brandon Woodruff is another guy I would if I was the Cubs I would consider just because of the relationship between uh Craig Council and Woodruff and and obviously Woodruff has been a really excellent pitcher when he’s been healthy. So Cubs lose the face I felt like really the face of the team over the last couple years. Showed the great personality was uh I thought a bulldog on the mound. He was the one reliable piece that the Cubs had up until the end of July. Uh pretty consistently healthy. I know he got injured covering first base, but um you know, it’s not like he he’s had arm problems and uh you know, and and at times could be amongst the best in baseball. And so with the Cubs, I mean, they’re looking at it and they’re going, you know, is are we gonna get this Shota who’s, you know, heading to his middle 30s that gives up all of these home runs, the guy that we saw over the last 12 starts, or are we going to be able to get the show that we had for the first year and a half? And uh I get the business part of it. I mean, you’re looking at three years with someone. he doesn’t have overpowering stuff and when he misses he gives up home runs. So, um you know it it kind of is one of those situations where they felt like it was best that they go a different direction there. So, we’ll we’ll see. Uh obviously there it’s you know you get attached to these guys because you you do love uh Shota and and what he brings to the table and um you know Shota will turn down probably the qualifying offer and then that’ll be that. But um I thought it was worth just popping on here and and basically just mentioning it, you know, that that that look, they’re going to have to figure out what you know what moving forward they’re going to do to replace Shota. You know, we’ll be keeping an eye on that. Uh I I’d love to see them get really involved with some of the the best free agents uh on the market and you know that includes you know obviously bats and arms right because they could use a little bit of everything to try to bolster this team and and and improve on what they did last year and know that they’re going to do that probably without Kyle Tucker. So anyway guys, thanks for hanging. Like, subscribe, thumbs up, get in the comments section. Always appreciate you guys being here on the channel. Don’t forget about MC Nation. That’s our QR code right there at the bottom. Got some hats, some swag to give away like these hats right here. Cubs baseball channel hats. We give them away there uh at Avenue D. You got the pick games, weekly cash prizes. It’s all free and uh you’re part of what we do here. So, thank you guys. And uh we’ll do it again tomorrow. Go. [Music]

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This Episode:
– Breaking: Cubs Decline Option for Shōta Imanaga and he elects to become a Free Agent.

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Mick Gillispie has covered the Chicago Cubs since 2007 and has been a fan of the team since the 1984 season. He has broadcasted spring training games or been heard on Cubs.com, MLB.com, 670 The Score, WGN, CSN-Chicago and Marquee Sports Network. He is an award winning play-by-play voice for the Tennessee Smokies Cubs Double-A Affiliate. He has also hosted many forums over the years at Cubs Convention including Down on The Farm

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