Shota Imanaga has accepted a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer from the Chicago Cubs, ensuring his return for the 2026 season. The left-handed pitcher opted to stay rather than test free agency further, while outfielder Kyle Tucker declined the same offer and will pursue a multiyear deal elsewhere. This move secures draft compensation for the Cubs if Tucker signs with another team.
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, Shota Imanaga agreed to the Chicago Cubs' qualifying offer, marking him as one of only four players—a record—to accept such a deal before the deadline. The 32-year-old lefty, who became a free agent after the Cubs declined a three-year, $57.75 million club option and Imanaga rejected a $15.25 million player option, chose the one-year pact worth $22.025 million. This represents a $6.8 million raise over his projected 2026 salary and allows him to reach free agency again next offseason without qualifying offer restrictions.
Imanaga's decision came after a mixed 2025 season, where he posted a 9-8 record with a 3.73 ERA over 25 starts and 144 2/3 innings, allowing 31 home runs—including 20 in his final 12 outings and 10 in September alone. He missed most of May and June due to a strained left hamstring and struggled in the postseason, surrendering six runs and three homers in 6.2 innings across two appearances during the Cubs' NL Division Series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite the late-season dip, Imanaga's overall Cubs tenure shines: a 3.28 ERA, 291 strikeouts, and 54 walks in 54 starts over two seasons. He earned All-Star honors in 2024, finished top-five in NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young voting that year, and started Opening Day in the 2025 Tokyo Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"It felt like a no-brainer for us," Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins said of extending the offer. "We like Shota a lot. Obviously, we enjoy having him. … I know it was a complicated contract structure."
Meanwhile, Kyle Tucker, the Cubs' All-Star and Silver Slugger outfielder, declined his qualifying offer as expected, entering the market as one of baseball's top free agents. Tucker batted .841 OPS with 22 homers, 25 doubles, 25 steals, 73 RBIs, and 91 runs in 136 games, despite injuries including a hairline fracture in June that contributed to a second-half slump (.690 OPS post-July 1). He posted 4.6 bWAR, his fifth straight season above 4.5.
"We told him, ‘We’d love to figure out ways to put you in a Cubs uniform again,’" Hawkins noted. Cubs president Jed Hoyer added, "When we were at our best, he was at his best. He’s a great player. We had a really good experience with him. And obviously we’ll be talking to [his agent]."
If Tucker signs elsewhere, the Cubs gain a draft pick after Competitive Balance Round B, similar to the 68th overall selection in 2023 that yielded prospect Jaxon Wiggins. Hoyer indicated the team plans an active offseason focused on pitching, with needs beyond trusted starters like Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd.
