How Does Imanaga Slot into Cubs’ Rotation?

The Chicago Cubs have made a deal to bring Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga to the Windy City in 2024. With that, the Cubs would appear to have a set starting rotation.

How new manager Craig Counsell deploys that rotation remains to be seen. But, entering Spring Training, this is how the Cubs’ first five games of the season could shake out.

Opening Day: Justin Steele

The Cubs will be in Arlington, Texas, to open the season against the World Series champion Texas Rangers on March 28. So you have to throw your best pitcher, right? That’s Steele.

He was fifth in Cy Young voting in 2023 after he put together a career season — a 15-6 record with a 3.06 ERA. He threw a career-high 173.1 innings, struck out a career-high 176 and walked just 36. He represented the Cubs in the All-Star Game.

The Cubs have him under control for the next three seasons. If he follows up 2023 with an exceptional 2024, the Cubs may want to try and lock him up into a long-term extension.

Game 2: Kyle Hendricks

After an off-day in Texas, the Cubs veteran will probably get the ball in the second game of the set with the Rangers. He’s entering his 10th MLB season.

He’s coming off a 6-8 season with a 3.74 ERA in 24 starts, with 93 strikeouts and 27 walks in 137 innings. He’s not that far removed from his 14-7 season with the Cubs in 2021, during which he had the second-worst ERA of his career at 4.77. Hendricks normally keeps that ERA under 4.00, with a career ERA of 3.48.

Game 3: Shota Imanaga

He’s new to the Majors, but he’s thrown more than 1,000 career professional innings and has an array of pitches that can befuddle hitters.

Since 2019 with the Yokohama BayStars he has a 2.79 ERA with a 26.2 percent strikeout rate and a 5.9 percent walk rate. In 2023 season he struck out nearly 30 percent of the hitters he faced and finished with a 2.80 ERA. He walked fewer than four percent of the hitters he faced. He’s the perfect middle-of-the-rotation starter.

Game 4: Jameson Taillon

When the Cubs return to Wrigley Field for their home opener against Colorado on April 1, Taillon likely gets the call. In his first season with Chicago he was serviceable, going 8-10 with a 4.84 ERA in 30 games (29 starts). He struck out 140 and walked 41. Batters hit .258 against him.

He’s there to eat innings and get the Cubs into the sixth and seventh innings. He’s won 14 games twice in his career and is capable of producing a sub-4.00 ERA.

Game 5: Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks or Hayden Wesneski

This is where Cubs fans will competition. Assad moved into a starting role in the second half and was solid, finishing 5-3 with a 3.05 ERA. Wicks joined the rotation after the Cubs slid Drew Smyly to the bullpen. He went 4-1 with a 4.41 ERA in just seven starts. Wesneski earned this spot last spring but lost it as he ended up in the bullpen. He went 3-5 with a 4.63 ERA.