Shota Imanaga is returning to the Chicago Cubs, but that doesn't mean the team can't still upgrade the starting rotation
Although Shota Imanaga has officially accepted the qualifying offer and is returning to the Chicago Cubs, the team is still in a position sign an impact starting pitcher this offseason.
In the early going, offseason rumors have linked the team to top arms like Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Framber Valdez for good reason. The team's glaring flaw in the 2025 playoffs was starting pitching, partially because Imanaga had become ineffective to the point where they didn't use him in Game 5 of the NLDS in an elimination scenario.