CHICAGO (AP) — On a snowy afternoon in downtown Chicago, Shōta Imanaga pulled on a Cubs cap and a crisp, pinstriped No. 18 jersey in the middle of a hotel ballroom.
Then the left-hander quickly made a bunch of new friends.
“Hey Chicago, what do you say? Cubs are going to win today,” Imanaga said in English, reciting a couple of lines from the song “Go Cubs Go” much to the delight of a group of fans on hand for his first press press conference with his new team.
Imanaga was formally introduced by the Cubs on Friday, a day after he finalized a $53 million, four-year contract. Nicknamed “The Throwing Philosopher,” he went 7-4 with a 2.80 ERA in 22 starts last season with the Yokohama BayStars of Japan’s Central League, finishing with 174 strikeouts and 24 walks in 148 innings.
The 30-year-old Imanaga steps into Chicago's rotation in place of Marcus Stroman, who opted out of his contract and has a pending $37 million, two-year deal with the New York Yankees. Chicago also has lefty Justin Steele and right-handers Kyle Hendricks and Jameson Taillon projected for its rotation.
Imanaga, recognizable for throwback-style high socks, was 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA in eight seasons with Yokohama, striking out 1,021 and walking 280 in 1,002 2/3 innings. He also got the win for Japan in last year’s World Baseball Classic final against the United States.
“The experience of the World Baseball Classic made me think that there is more to baseball, more that I can improve on,” Imanaga said through an interpreter.
“And also, facing the hitters, they're players of unimaginable talent over here and it made me want to apply myself and face them, face the challenge here.”
With Imanaga's first major league contract, Chicago can exercise a 2028 option after 2025 or ’26. If the team declines the option in either instance, the pitcher would have the right to opt out of the remainder of the contract to become a free agent.
Chicago must pay a release fee of $9,825,000 to Yokohama under the posting agreement between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. The amount of the fee would increase if the option is exercised.
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