Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Shota Imanaga

After three seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Shota Imanaga is hitting the open market as a somewhat puzzling pitcher. The type of arm that I’m sure many teams will view differently than others. Some will have them at the top of their wish list, while some won’t even have him on theirs.

The 33-year-old lefty has shown stretches where he looks dominant, striking out 10+ batters only to give up seven runs in his next outing. We’ve seen pitchers struggle with this in the past but it’s usually due to inconsistencies. I don’t feel like Imanaga is necessarily inconsistent, but his biggest flaw – giving up home runs – comes back to bite him quite a bit.

What Teams Are Getting

A low-velocity pitcher who relies on movement and command of his pitches to get batters out, Imanaga comes with a high floor and a debatable ceiling. When he first joined the Cubs in 2024, he posted a 2.91 ERA and like one of the better offseason additions from overseas. However, his 2025 season was not as sharp as he struggled to generate the same strikeout numbers and saw a dip in his already low velocity.

What we saw this past season was much closer to his 2024 numbers. His strikeout rate was back up, he was able to make 32 starts, and his velocity returned to the same mark it was in 2024. Although the numbers were similar, the way he got to those numbers was different. He started throwing his four-seamer less, while his split finger and sweeper were used more often.

Even if you have only watched Imanaga pitch once, you can quickly see what makes him a useful pitcher. The movement on his pitches will catch your eye his ability to repeatedly locate his offerings stands out. You’ll see uncomfortable swings, few walks, and likely a home run. I guess that’s just part of it when you live in the zone and only throw 91 mph.

Even with his home run issues (16.1% HR/FB, 35 HR allowed), I still view Imanaga as a quality middle-of-the-rotation arm. I’m not going to try to sell you on him being the ace of your staff, and he’s not a perfect pitcher, but there’s plenty of reason why you should want him on your favorite team.

Limiting walks has become a lost art in baseball and so has pitching 175 innings. Two things that Imanaga absolutely can do. Add a 35% chase rate and 30% whiff rate suddenly you have an arm that you can work with.

I don’t think there’s any way around his home run problems. Low-velocity pitcher who’s only 5-foot-10 and does not get any extension makes the ball appear even slower as it approaches the plate. With so many pitches in the zone, there’s going to be some that leave the yard, and that’s okay. It will cost you innings at times, but plenty of other starts he will give you six or seven quality innings.

Of his 32 outings last season, 15 were Quality Starts, and 15 were five innings of one run or less. He had 12 quality starts in 25 games in 2025 and 19 in 29 starts in 2024. His issue is the 5-6 starts a year where he allows three home runs leading to seven or eight earned runs. If you’re willing to stomach those blow-up starts, you get a quality pitcher for the other starts.

You are going to find mixed reviews on Imanaga depending on who you talk to. You can make a case on why a team should avoid him, but I think he’s a great arm to add to most rotations.

Free Agent Profile: Shota Imanaga

Age in 2027: 33

2026 Stats: 174.1 IP, 3.77 ERA, 4.47 FIP, 8.98 K/9, 1.91 BB/9

Contract Projection: 2-3 Years

Expected AAV: $15-$21 million

Free Agent Landing Spots for Shota Imanaga

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks have an important and potentially weird offseason ahead of them. A good but not great team who might have to move Ketel Marte, find a first baseman, and answer a few other questions about their roster. One of those questions is who will fill out the rotation.

Corbin Burnes will be back in the mix and Eduardo Rodriguez did the thing where he decided to be good again giving them two options that also come with uncertainties. Merrill Kelly is nearing his expiration date and Brandon Pfaadt worries me. Adding a pitcher like Shota to the mix would help to not only solidify their rotation, but take pressure off Kelly or Pdfaadt to be the number three.

The Diamondbacks have some money coming off the books and Imanaga can replace the Zac Gallen innings, which would be a major upgrade. I feel like this is the exact level of pitcher the Diamondbacks will be on.

San Diego Padres

I don’t know about you but I’m extremely worried about the Padres rotation. Joe Musgrove coming back from injury comes with concerns in Randy Vasquez, although a fine pitcher, cannot be arguably your number two. They tried the one-year cheap vet options in the past, but I think they should go with a higher-end pitcher like Imanaga.

San Diego cannot afford to roll out the current rotation that they have. Using deadline resources to get somebody like Casey Mize cannot become the answer to your rotation problems. I’d argue that they need somebody better than Imanaga, like a true ace, but we might be working with some money restraints. That’s yet to be determined with the change in ownership.

Even if San Diego acquires a different starter, I still see room for Imanaga. They could use a lefty in the rotation that is not named J.P. Sears who, at the very least, can eat some innings.

Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto is obviously hungry for a championship and has been an aggressive team over the past couple of winters. Adding Dylan Cease and José Soriano in the past year has been a great start, but the rotation needs more. Hope Cody Ponce can return and show why he was given that contract, and maybe Trey Yesavage takes a step forward, but they need a lefty in the rotation and Imanaga is a clear upgrade over Spencer Arrighetti.

Another wrinkle in this is giving the Blue Jays a starter who struggle with walking batters. Even if it’s only for the sanity of the fans. Toronto has invested a lot of resources into this team’s rotation and I doubt that they will stop now. Adding a pitcher of Imanaga’s level and cost would still leave them enough money to address other significant needs.

Baltimore Orioles

How how Baltimore goes about this offseason is one of my favorite storylines to follow. I truly don’t know what to expect. You could tell me that they trade away a lot of their talent and start some quasi-rebuild, retool, or you can convince me that they buy. I just don’t know what to think.

What I do know is that they need a starting pitcher. Trevor Rogers hitting free agency and likely getting a big deal makes his return to Baltimore less likely, although still possible. If Rogers does leave, the O’s would not have a lefty in the rotation outside of Cade Povich, who I like but has dealt with an injury.

This type of contract is one that Baltimore should be comfortable with. I think Rogers is the better pitcher with a higher upside, I don’t think Imanaga is a drastic downgrade.