The Chicago Cubs' first big offseason splash came when they signed starting pitcher Shota Imanaga to a four-year deal. Imanaga is 30 years old and came to Major League Baseball after pitching for eight years in Japan. He'll debut on April 1st when the Cubs take on the Colorado Rockies.
The Cubs' rotation to start the season is officially set in stone. Justin Steele will remain the starter on Opening Day in Texas after taking a comebacker off the knee in his final spring start. Then it will be veteran Kyle Hendricks and youngster Jordan Wicks taking on the World Champion Rangers through the weekend.
Jameson Taillon is still recovering from a tweak in his back. He never made a start in spring training, so his first appearance on the mound will be his first in-game action of the year. Javier Assad will take his place until he can return to the rotation. Assad will start on Tuesday night.
Imanaga joins the Cubs at an exciting time. 2024 will be the first time the Cubs have had realistic playoff aspirations since dismantling the World Series core in 2021. With those aspirations come expectations for a team representing the third-largest market in sports. And to add to it all, when Imanaga takes the mound for the first time in MLB, he'll do so in historic fashion.
Shota Imanaga Set To Make History
Wrigley Field has been around since 1914 and has been the home of the Cubs since 1916. There are not many firsts left to be had at the Friendly Confines. But Shota Imanaga will be able to help check one off to begin his Major League career. When he takes the mound on April 1st, he'll be the first Cubs player to make his Major League debut as a starting pitcher in the season's first game at Wrigley Field.
The first few months of Wrigley Field baseball can be cold and uncomfortable, especially for batters. The contact further up the barrel can result in stingers that last a few minutes. With that in mind, favor may be on Imanaga's side. Imanaga has deadly movement to his pitches that mostly either result in a fly ball or an embarrassing strikeout. Those fly balls will hopefully stay in the yard if the wind is howling in cold air off the lake.
As time goes on and spring turns into summer, Imanaga will have some adjustments to make to adapt to the reversal of the winds. The warm days and nights at Wrigley can be devastating for pitchers who rely on fly balls for outs. It will be on Imanaga to find his spots and ensure the ball stays in the yard.
If the Cubs are going to compete in 2024, their rotation will have to give them a strong season. Imanaga will play a significant role in that. Here's to hoping his year starts on a high note and he gets to experience his first raising of the "W" flag on April 1st.
