Just one year removed from a top-5 finish in National League Cy Young voting, the marriage between left-hander Shota Imanaga and the Chicago Cubs appears to be at an end. After the team rejected their option to extend his contract to a fifth year, he had an option to exercise a $15 million player option for next season, which he declined.
It's a dramatic, although not totally unexpected move that could have major implications for the Cubs this offseason. This is a team in dire need of a true top-of-the-rotation arm and, as we saw down the stretch and into the postseason, Imanaga's inability to keep the ball in the yard prevents him from being that guy.