It was a bit surprising at the time.
The Chicago Cubs, in a slightly nuanced contract setup, basically had the choice of keeping Shota Imanaga for the next three seasons for a total cost of $57.75 million.
Instead, the Cubs declined that chance, and Imanaga took the right built into his contract to go to free agency.
Now, the question hangs out there: What will Imanaga sign for now?
It's also unclear whether the Cubs could get back in the negotiations if the dollar value is lower.
ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote this about Imanaga on Tuesday:
"The Cubs turned down a three-year, $57.75 million option on Imanaga, paving the way to his free agency, and he will wind up with two or three years. Like (Zac) Gallen, he needs to control the home run ball after yielding 31 in 144⅔ innings, including nine first-inning shots."
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Chicago is in a bit of an intriguing spot. The Cubs seem OK letting both Kyle Tucker and Imanaga leave in free agency.
They'll probably be in on potential replacement options, but if they don't want to pay those guys, will they want to pay others? There could be a path toward bargain shopping here for the Cubs rather than making a splash.
Imanaga, for his part, could still be a big contributor somewhere. His stuff still plays, even if he's a tad inconsistent. There's plenty of value in a lefty starting pitcher in free agency, so Imanaga should do just fine for himself.
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