Chicago just got its frontline lefty back for another year, but not on the terms the front office had in mind.
When the offseason began, the Chicago Cubs looked like a team gearing up for a very different kind of winter — one built around keeping their books clean, shuffling money into new areas, and hunting for upgrades at a few carefully chosen weak spots on the roster.
That’s why Shota Imanaga’s surprising decision to accept the qualifying offer hit like a thunderclap across the division, instantly reshaping a plan that had been drawn up with his departure all but penciled in.