Angels’ rotation may be saved after Cubs shockingly part with ace

The MLB off season got started in a big way today, and the Angels could be big benefactors of it. As players and organizations across the league decide on their options, a number of players are electing to hit free agency, and the Chicago Cubs may have just given them a chance to add a frontline starter alongside Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano, and revived starter Reid Detmers. 

The Chicago Cubs spent the first half of the 2025 season as one of the World Series favorites in the National League alongside the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite a second half collapse, they still had a successful season before watching star outfielder Kyle Tucker hit free agency this week. And now, their Opening Day starter Shota Imanaga will be joining Tucker on the open market. 

Cubs’ ace could surprisingly save Angels’ rotation

The contract that the Cubs and Shota Imanaga reached in 2024 seemed simple enough. A four-year deal worth $53 million, with the option to extend it to a five-year, $80 million contract after the second year of his contract (meaning after 2025). However, a clause in the contract gave Imanaga a $15 million player option for the 2026 season if the Cubs declined his fifth-year option. The Cubs did so earlier this week, and Imanaga followed suit, adding a true frontline starter to a free agency class that needed it. 

In his two MLB seasons, Imanaga has posted a 3.28 ERA with an exceptional strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.39. He earned Cy Young votes in his rookie season, and the 32-year old would be a strong addition to any rotation in baseball. With newly acquired pitching coach Mike Maddux finding incredible success during his time with the Texas Rangers, pairing him and Imanaga could give the Angels a legitimate ace at the top of their rotation. And given Imanaga’s age, he may not be as pricey as some of the other top starters on the market. 

The Angels were connected to a dozen of the top free agents, a few of them starting pitchers of varying skill levels. But none of them possess the talent and success of Imanaga, and his name should be at the top of the Angels’ target list alongside the Blue Jays’ near-World Series hero Bo Bichette. If they could find a way to build a rotation of Imanaga, Kikuchi, Soriano, and Detmers they would be able to compete in an AL West division that is only getting better as the calendar changes to 2026.