(670 The Score) Left-hander Shota Imanaga will be returning to the Cubs.
Imanaga has accepted the one-year, $22.025-million qualifying offer from the Cubs, according to multiple reports Tuesday afternoon, putting him under contract for the 2026 season. The news broke just before the 3 p.m. CT deadline Tuesday to accept the offer. Had Imanaga declined the qualifying offer and signed elsewhere, the Cubs would've received draft compensation.
Imanaga, 32, is 24-11 with a 3.28 ERA in two seasons with the Cubs. He was 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 25 starts in 2025.
Imanaga struggled down the stretch last season, posting a 5.17 ERA in his final 12 regular-season starts. He was 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in two playoff starts, and the Cubs chose to not give him the ball in the decisive Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Brewers. The Cubs were eliminated with a 3-1 loss in that Game 5.
Earlier in November, Imanaga and the Cubs both declined options in his original contract, putting him on a potential path to find a new home. Instead, Imanaga will return to the Cubs in 2026.