Is the Key to Fixing the Angels Rotation a Former Cubs Ace?
With all the news of the 2025 season coming to an end, MLB free agency has begun, leading to an offseason in which teams are scrambling to find high-priced arms. The Angels, who lost a few arms to free agency and struggling performance, are among the teams looking to upgrade their starting rotation in 2026. Former Cubs ace Shota Imanaga declined his player option, instantly making him one of the MLB’s most prized arms to hit the market this offseason. Since joining the MLB from the NPB, Imanaga has delivered steady results, earning him an all-star appearance in 2024 and NL Rookie of the Year and NL Cy Young votes.
Adding Imanaga would give the Angels' rotation the much-needed stability it has lacked for years. Imanaga’s arsenal plays well, mainly when he uses his fastball mixed in with a splitter to change speeds, and then puts away batters with a sweeper, a pitch that puts away batters at 27.3 percent of the time. Angel Stadium, however, is a more hitter-friendly park than Wrigley Field, so Imanaga would have to adapt on the fly and focus even more on the off-speed pitches to get through his outings. To Imanaga’s credit, having to adapt from one league to another hasn’t stopped him from becoming an ace, suggesting that he has the confidence and precision to play in Anaheim.
The fit in Anaheim runs even deeper when considering who is still on the roster. Yusei Kikuchi, who signed with the Angels last offseason, gives the team another veteran lefty presence and a natural cultural bridge for Imanaga to adjust to life on the West Coast. Having two Japanese starters in the same rotation would strengthen the team chemistry and reestablish Anaheim’s connection to Japan. Kurt Suzuki, the team's newest manager, has also been vocal about his family’s Japanese heritage, adding another reason for Imanaga to build a closer relationship with the club. Plus, with the posting of Yakult Swallows star third baseman Munetaka Murakami, adding Imanga could also make Anaheim a more attractive destination.
Signing Imanaga offers the Angels an opportunity to not only get a missing arm for the rotation, but he also provides the Angels a real chance to show fans the club is serious in contending. The Angels have relied on short-term fixes in the past to get by on short-term contracts that don’t instill much trust in incoming players, often leading to poor performance. Imanaga is 32 years old, and his current market value is trending around $18-$19 million per year, so a three or four-year deal at that price point would be reasonable for a starter of his caliber and experience. A signing like Imanaga’s would prove the Angels are ready to move past the temporary solutions and build a staff that’s capable of winning again.
