Shota Imanaga's stellar start to his career soured, leading to a shocking option decline. Unpacking the dramatic shifts that ended his Cubs tenure.
After only two seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Shota Imanaga will become a free agent. According to reports, the Cubs declined Imanaga’s three-year, $57 million club option, and the left-hander then declined a one-year, $15 million player option for the 2026 season.
Imanaga really became a fan favorite over his two seasons in the Windy City. However, his time in Chicago has almost certainly come to an end.
So, what led to this falling out? Why didn’t the Cubs bring him back? Let’s take a look at why both sides declined their options for the 2026 season.
Why The Cubs Declined The Club Option
Declining this club option one year ago would have been seen as a crazy move by the Cubs. Imanaga was coming off a dominant rookie season in which he finished with a 2.91 ERA and 174 strikeouts across 173 ⅓ innings pitched. He also finished fifth in the National League Cy Young voting and made his first All-Star appearance.
But a lot changed in a year.
In 2025, Imanaga was nowhere near the pitcher he was in his rookie season. With more film on the southpaw and teams adjusting to his pitching style, his numbers regressed throughout the year.
While Imanaga posted solid numbers in the first half (2.40 ERA in 13 starts), his second half was likely a large reason why the Cubs ultimately decided to decline his club option. He had a 5.17 ERA in his final 12 regular season starts.
More importantly, Imanaga was almost unstartable in the postseason. He gave up two runs across four innings in the Wild Card Round and then allowed four runs across 2 ⅔ innings in Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Cubs couldn’t even trust him enough to pitch him on regular rest in a pivotal Game 5. Not being able to rely on your star pitcher in a win-or-go-home game was likely the tipping point. He also struggled to keep the ball in the park, as his 31 home runs allowed were tied for the fourth-most in the Majors.
Why Shota Imanaga Declined The Player Option
It’s no surprise that Imanaga declined his player option after the Cubs declined his club option. The left-hander is worth more than $15 million, and he should receive a contract worth much more than that for the 2026 season.
Spotrac has Imanaga's market value sitting at four years, $121 million. Although that feels a bit too high for a pitcher who really struggled in the second half, there’s no doubt that teams will be in on the 32-year-old this winter.
Imanaga has finished with a sub-3.75 ERA in each of his first two seasons in the Major Leagues. He had a career-best 0.988 WHIP in 2025 and has accumulated a 4.5 WAR over those two years with the Cubs.
What’s Next?
The Cubs have until Thursday to decide on whether to extend a $22.025 million qualifying offer to Imanaga. According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, “there is no word yet on whether the Cubs will extend a qualifying offer to Imanaga.”
Even if the Cubs do extend the qualifying offer to Imanaga, there’s a strong chance the 32-year-old would decline it anyway. As a result, it’s all but certain that the Japanese pitcher will enter free agency this winter.