Cubs predicted to replace Shota Imanaga with $13.75 million former Cy Young runner-up

Cubs predicted to replace Shota Imanaga with $13.75 million former Cy Young runner-up originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With the Chicago Cubs set to lose their best player in Kyle Tucker, and their ace, Shota Imanaga, they need to go into this offseason with the intention of replacing them. Luckily, there’s one pitcher on the market that could work well in the Friendly Confines.

That pitcher, according to Fansided’s Christopher Kline, is San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease. A former pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, Cease is familiar with the city and has the potential to be a Cy Young-level ace.

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“The Chicago Cubs appear destined to lose the Tucker sweepstakes, which ideally frees up Jed Hoyer to be aggressive elsewhere. That is not always how things play out in Chicago, of course, but there is pressure to build on the success of 2025. One of their foremost priorities needs to be beefing up the rotation. Cease tends to fluctuate wildly between Cy Young-level awesome and just fine, but he packs elite strikeout stuff and profiles as the frontline ace Chicago lacks in lieu of Shōta Imanaga. It helps that Cease spent the early years of his career on the South Side in a White Sox uniform. He knows the city,” Kline wrote.

This past season, Cease finished with a 4.55 ERA, but he also got 215 Ks, had a K/9 of 11.5, and a FIP of 3.56. Considering he’s also a hot and cold pitcher by season, this season he was cold, meaning next season he’s due to be hot.

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While he may not be the top of the market starter, he still makes sense for the Cubs. As long as he does at least as good as Imanaga this year, he’ll be fine. Plus, he can be a mentor for Cade Horton and help develop him into the next franchise ace for Chicago.

However, if the Cubs want him, they’ll need to start pursuing him ASAP. Otherwise, another contender looking for an ace or No. 2 pitcher will be knocking on his door.

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