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Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga is a free agent after the team declined its option to extend his contract to five years and $80 million, and he then declined a $15 million option for 2026, a source confirmed.
Imanaga, 32, signed a four-year deal with the Cubs in 2024, transitioning to Major League Baseball after a successful career in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.
His contract had an intricate structure, giving the Cubs the option after both his second and third year to extend his deal to five years. Declining the option, however, would give Imanaga the opportunity to opt out.