Left-hander Shota Imanaga will be returning to the Cubs after accepting the $22.025 million qualifying offer for 2026, sources confirmed Tuesday.
Imanaga was one of four players who accepted the qualifying offer before Tuesday’s deadline, according to multiple reports, joining Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham, Tigers infielder Gleyber Torres and Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff.
Source confirmed Shota Imanaga is accepting the qualifying offer ($22.025 M) to return to the Cubs for 2026, as @PJ_Mooney first reported.
— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) November 18, 2025
Imanaga’s return helps address some of the Cubs’ pitching concerns this offseason. And though the contract is just one year, it’s at a higher average annual value than the three-year player option that the Cubs declined.
Early signs at the GM meetings last week indicated that Imanaga might continue to test the market, boasting a strong body of work over two seasons in MLB. But by accepting, he extended his time in Chicago, where he quickly became a fan and clubhouse favorite, and gave himself a chance to hit free agency next year with what could be a stronger platform year.
Imanaga far surpassed expectations in his 2024 rookie season (15-3, 2.91 ERA), when he earned a no-brainer All-Star selection and finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting.
He still showed flashes of that dominance in 2025 (9-8, 3.73 ERA). But Imanaga sustained the first lower-body muscle injury of his career, and a loss of strength and flexibility because of that hamstring strain is believed to have contributed to his struggles down the stretch.
The Cubs also extended the qualifying offer to right fielder Kyle Tucker. But he was always expected to decline and remain arguably the top free agent in this year’s class. If he signs with a different team, the Cubs will qualify for draft compensation.
Tucker’s age (28 years old), tools, and reputation after four straight All-Star seasons will make him popular among teams looking to upgrade their lineups. In his one season with the Cubs, he posted a .841 OPS and was a silver slugger, boosted by a red-hot first half at the plate.
The Cubs met with Tucker’s agent at the GM meetings last week, but the team’s focus this offseason will lean toward pitching. Bringing back Imanaga was the first step, but they still need to rebuild the bullpen and, ideally, also bolster their rotation with a frontline addition.
Hamels, a four-time All-Star, was 163-122 with a 3.43 ERA for the Phillies (2006-15), Rangers (2015-18), Cubs (2018-19) and Braves (2020) and pitched a no-hitter for the Phillies against the Cubs on July 25, 2015.
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The last time the Cubs had this many key players in a walk year, it led to a full teardown. That shouldn’t be the case this time.
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President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer declined to reveal his offseason budget.
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