On Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs introduced they’d reached a tentative cope with Japanese free-agent pitcher Shota Imanaga. The settlement is pending a bodily, which Imanaga will endure on Tuesday in Chicago.
The phrases of the deal have but to be talked about, but it surely is a wonderful addition for the Cubs. Apart from naming Craig Counsell the brand new supervisor for the 2024 season and past, they haven’t made a lot noise this offseason.
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Imanaga ought to immediately enhance the staff’s rotation. He’s coming off the 2 greatest seasons of his profession in Japan, throwing over 140 innings and compiling ERAs beneath 2.81.
He has no drawback protecting opposing hitters from barreling up balls. Imanaga led the NPB in strikeout fee and was the strikeout chief within the Central League. This will likely be a pleasant change of surroundings for a staff that has relied closely on groundball pitchers.
What does Shota Imanaga deliver to the Cubs’ rotation?
Whereas not massive in measurement, Shota Imanaga makes up for it along with his command, pitch repertoire, and motion. He has a number of pitches he can go to in his arsenal, making for a particularly robust at-bat.
Imanaga throws his fastball more often than not, which sits at 92 mph. He has nice command of the pitch and might damage opposing batters up and down within the zone. He pairs that along with his tight slider that he may mimic as a sweeper.
His splitter is probably going his most intriguing pitch. Given baseballs within the MLB and NPB are totally different, it will likely be fascinating to see how effectively this pitch interprets to the massive leagues. The opposite pitches he throws are a curveball, cutter, and changeup.
Search for him to behave as one of many Cubs’ aces as they attempt to contend for a World Sequence title.