Is Shota Imanaga the fall back plan to Yamamoto for Cubs? |
When you looked at the state of the Cubs rotation last season, one thing that came to mind was the lack of left-handers. Sure, you had the ace Justin Steele come through all season long, but with the struggles of Drew Smyly eventually forcing him to the pen, the Cubs didn't have another left-handed option until late in the season when Jordan Wicks was promoted.
For the most part, Wicks performed well enough to stay in the rotation, but given his limited sample size, some are wondering if he will start the season on the big league club or back to AAA to gain that extra year of service time. Should that happen, the Cubs will again be in the market for a left-handed starter, and a couple of names come to mind. The most obvious name to pursue would be the Cy Young favorite Blake Snell. Despite his struggles during his first two seasons with the Padres, Snell emerged as the ace the Padres were hoping for this season and went on to deliver an amazing season. He will not get paid because of it, which is a price tag the Cubs may not be willing to match. If that is the case, what other left-handed options exist for this team? Well, one name that isn't being talked about a ton hails from the NPB, where Shota Imanaga comes to mind. Like most of the NPB players who have stated they will be coming stateside, Imanaga is a highly coveted arm and one that the Cubs have been doing their homework on a ton. Granted, Yoshinbu Yamamoto is the top priority for the Cubs should they get an NPB arm, but if not, then Imanaga is a great secondary option. The oldest of the group at 30 years old, Imanaga has also put together an impressive NPB career and could be had for a shorter-term commitment at a much more reasonable price. Imanaga isn't as overpowering as Yamamoto, but he is considered an ACE and an ACE that has posted a sub-3.00 ERA for the majority of his career while also striking out better than one hitter per inning. Throw in his limited walk rate, which is 4/1 at this point, and Imanaga has had an incredible run of consistent success, even if it is at the NPB level. If that doesn't get you interested or curious to look at his success, perhaps his past two seasons will, as his best seasons have been the last two. In his last two seasons, Imanaga has seen his ERA trend closer to 2.50, and the K/BB ratio is more like 6+ (it’s actually over 8(!) this year). Those are incredible numbers for any pitcher, but to see this in a pitcher now approaching 30 leads me to believe he has plenty left in the tank and could be a late bloomer. Some of you may be wondering why the Cubs are spending so much time in Japan scouting these players instead of trying to lure more talent from proven MLB arms. That is a question that Jed Hoyer would have to answer for you, but the Cubs are not alone in this process, as 26 teams sent their scouts over to Japan to watch Imanaga, which goes to show you how coveted he is. When it comes to the Cubs, this could have been a case where they were traveling to see Yamamoto play, and they came across his start the same weekend, so they did their homework to see what he was about. In any instance, the Cubs loved what they saw as he has drawn Jon Lester comparisons regarding his arsenal. Armed with a fastball around 93 MPH, Imanaga is all about the offspeed stuff, as many Japanese arms are, especially his patented backfoot slider to a righty. It is a pitch that he can throw at any point in the count, and one hitters haven't been able to pick up very well yet. Regarding the price tag for Imanaga, don't expect him to get the price tag Yamamoto will reach, as that is expected to be around 200 million dollars. Instead, Imanaga will fetch a much more reasonable salary and one the Cubs would be right in line to offer. Considering his age most will look at the Kodai Senga signing from last season when the 30-year-old inked a five-year 75 million dollar deal with the Mets. Imanaga should land something similar as he is projected to land a four-year agreement between 70 and 80 million.
