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Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
National
Maddie Lee

How years of scouting, and a 2023 adjustment, led the Cubs to sign Shōta Imanaga

Shōta Imanaga Cubs Shota Imanaga Cub MLB Japan Jed Hoyer Seiya Suzuki Baseball Vice President
Shota Imanaga answers questions from reporters during a press conference where he was introduced by Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer at Lowes Hotel on January 12, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Getty)

The Cubs already were interested in left-hander Shōta Imanaga when he stepped onto the World Baseball Classic stage last spring. They had been scouting him since 2018 and began homing in on him the next year at the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Premier12 tournament.

If he chose to go from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball to the majors after the 2023 season, the Cubs felt like they had a good sense of the pitcher he’d be. 

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