Overview
- Chicago declined a three-year, $57 million club option covering 2026–28, which triggered a $15 million player option for 2026 that Imanaga then declined, making him a free agent.
- ESPN’s Jesse Rogers first reported the option sequence that opened Imanaga’s path to the market.
- Imanaga posted a 3.28 ERA over two seasons with Chicago, earning a 2024 All-Star nod, but his 2025 included a hamstring absence, a late-season surge in home runs allowed, and postseason struggles.
- The Cubs can still issue a one-year qualifying offer worth $22.025 million; if he declines and signs elsewhere, they would receive draft-pick compensation.
- Reports note the declined club option would have included no-trade protection, and the move signals Chicago’s preference for payroll flexibility as potential suitors such as the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Mets evaluate the left-hander.