For a while, we've been wondering where Shota Imanaga will go. After all, he is an excellent pitcher coming over from Japan.
He's not as good as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but he's still a great thrower. And even though he gave up too many home runs, he was in demand.
We knew the Cubs were in the race recently and we knew the Giants weren't anymore. So it was the Cubs who got their hands on him.
Bob Nightengale was the first to report that the Cubs were successful in signing the pitcher. Several journalists subsequently followed suit.
The Red Sox missed another guy…
The Cubs, who let Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger test their free agency (they are still free), finally put someone under contract.
In the best of all worlds, he would replace Stroman.
Note that since the Cubs offered Craig Counsell a golden bridge to manage the club, nothing was happening in Chicago.
Because Imanaga had been job from Japan, he had a deadline to sign. His contract must be official before Thursday to be valid. He will take his medical test tomorrow.
Let's see if he'll be good in Chicago.
