ORLANDO, Fla. — The return of left-hander Shota Imanaga on an accepted qualifying offer gave the Chicago Cubs clarity on how their rotation might take shape in 2026.
With Imanaga back in the fold, Cubs manager Craig Counsell believes the 32-year-old lefty’s mindset this offseason and into the season will be about getting better and putting himself in a place where he should be.
“I’m really excited about Shota, I think he is in a really good place,” Counsell said Tuesday at MLB’s annual winter meetings. “I think sometimes not achieving what we want or not getting the opportunities we want or not performing how we want is the best teacher for us and it’s the best motivator for us.
“I think Shota is going to take his lessons from last year and be better for them, so I’m very optimistic about what we’re going to get from Shota. … I think he feels like he has something to prove, and that’s a great mindset for an athlete to be in.”
Imanaga’s hamstring injury that kept him out seven weeks clearly compromised him, especially during the last month of the season and into the playoffs. Counsell noted that Imanaga’s initial results (3.24 ERA in a 12-start span) after coming off the injured list covered up underlying issues. But that didn’t negate the problems that eventually affected the results over the final weeks of the season.
Imanaga and the Cubs have had a chance to take a step back and evaluate where things went awry within his delivery and arm action. The offseason is the ideal time to tackle those problems at all levels and figure out how he can better execute. Counsell expressed his confidence in the version of Imanaga the Cubs will see in 2026.
“There’s no question about it, he got off track,” Counsell said. “But maybe one of the reasons we were collectively unable to help him get back on track is that it was so close that it was hard to see, and I think sometimes just to step back and you’re out of competition and a little perspective helps you get back to that place — and a challenge, frankly, right? The challenge of the struggles helps you have a little clarity on getting back to your best self and maybe even a better self.
“So someone who, the diligence and the intelligence that he approaches pitching and problems around pitching, I think he’s going to come back from this with a lot of success.”
Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele pitches during the second inning against the Chicago White Sox during spring training at Sloan Park on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Mesa, Arizona. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
The Cubs are still exploring starting pitcher upgrades while knowing they will get a boost to the rotation with left-hander Justin Steele coming back from left elbow surgery. Counsell didn’t want to estimate when Steele would be ready to rejoin the rotation, wanting to wait until the team reports to spring training to see how the 30-year-old is progressing in his rehab. Counsell already ruled out that Steele won’t be ready for opening day, rather somewhere within the first half of the season.
“That’s an important part of the season, but it’s also something for us to just consider is that the starting pitching injuries, they can be very significant, and there’s very few position player injuries that keep you out for the season,” Counsell said. “It happens more on the starting pitcher side, but getting a player back of that caliber is important, absolutely. It is important.”
General manager Carter Hawkins acknowledged there is some uncertainty about the kind of performance the Cubs might get from Steele in 2026, coming off the surgery. The Cubs know the impact Steele is capable of having on the mound.
“What’s not unknown is just how much of a competitor he is,” Hawkins said Tuesday. “So, assuming health, we kind of assume that he’s going to figure out ways to get outs. He’s a guy that goes out there and figures out a way, whether he’s at 88, 92 (mph). His last start (in April) was unbelievable, he was pitching through what he had, so a ton of confidence in him. We want to make sure that he’s healthy before we put him out there, but a ton of confidence that he’s going to help us once he does get out there, just because of the type of competitor he is.”