Up to this point, the Chicago Cubs had been extremely quiet, except for an early offseason signing of new Head Coach Craig Counsell and a mix of minor league catcher deals. The Cubs, who finished in second place behind the Milwaukee Brewers last season and just missed out on a wild card spot, have finally made a move that will impact the big league roster Tuesday late afternoon.
LHP – Shota Imanaga
Shota Imanaga will be calling Wrigley Field his home park for the next year. How long after that, and how much money has yet to be announced? Shota spent the last eight years playing in Japan. The 30-year-old Southpaw projects to be a second or third starting pitcher here in the majors, which would slide him right between Justin Steele and James Taillon with the Cubs next season. This is the same Pitcher who, last year, was in the world baseball classic and defeated the USA team. Shota features four pitches: a mid-90s fastball, a curveball, a splitter, and a slider. Over 1002 2/3 innings in Japan, he had a 3.18 era.
Recap
Finally, no, it’s not Cody, but man, am I excited to watch him pitch next season for the Cubs. This will give the Cubs a solid boost to their rotation, and I wouldn’t be one bit surprised to see him as the number two behind Steele once spring training starts!! After all this time and all the rumors, Jed and company have made a signing that shows the Cubs faithful that next season will be one they look to contend for the NL Central.
