Shōta Imanaga, Cubs Reportedly Reach Deal Pending Physical

The Boston Red Sox have reportedly missed out on another potential starting pitcher with Shōta Imanaga reaching a tentative deal with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale was the first to break the news on that the Japanese pitcher will undergo a physical in Chicago on Thursday before the deal becomes official.

Along with the San Francisco Giants, the Red Sox and Cubs were rumored to be “very much in play” for the left-hander early Tuesday morning, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.

Speculation had circled throughout the offseason that Imanaga was a mid-rotation starter the Red Sox were targeting in free agency.

Imanaga competed in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball from 2016-23 with a 3.18 ERA in 165 career games. In 24 starts last season, he posted a 2.66 ERA and won the World Baseball Classic with Team Japan.