Cubs' unexpected decision can't be viewed as Yankees' solution to Carlos Rodón injury

When Shota Imanaga defected from Japan to come over to MLB, the New York Yankees didn't seem to have much interest in the left-hander. After all, they had just spent $162 million on Carlos Rodón the offseason prior, which very much felt like a bust at the time, and were coming off a postseason-less 2023.

While Imanaga would've been a nice addition, Brian Cashman and Co. had bigger fish to fry. The Yankees went out and traded for Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo that offseason. They waited for the market to settle and inked Marcus Stroman to what seemed like a favorable deal (it wasn't) for an experienced veteran. They had Rodón and Nestor Cortes as their lefty starters and technically didn't need a third. Stroman gave them six starter-types, so investing somewhat heavily in a seventh seemed gluttonous.

But now? That could all change. Rodón is expected to miss the start of 2026 after undergoing elbow surgery. Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt won't be ready until June and August (if that). The jury's still out on Will Warren and Luis Gil, if you were to ask most fans and media members.

So now that the Chicago Cubs surprisingly rejected Imanaga's option for 2026 to make the left-hander a free agent, might the Yankees feel like this is a necessary addition? He was expected to earn $15 million in 2026, $20 million in 2027 and $17 million in 2028 if the contract options had all been exercised.

He showed warts down the stretch and in the postseason, as he quickly became batting practice for some of the better offenses in the league. But he was tasked with being one of the Cubs' top arms. Might he be a better fit in New York as a back-end guy after he fills the necessary duties to make up for the lost time for Rodón and Cole?

If Imanaga is going to cost in between $15-$20 million per season on a theoretical three- or four-year deal, isn't this a bit of a no-brainer? The Yankees can afford it with all the money they have coming off the books and it gives them a ton of flexibility with their existing staff, whether that means moving arms to the bullpen or using others as trade assets for upgrades elsewhere.

There's one wrinkle preventing Shota Imanaga from being a perfect Yankees fit

The problem? He's in the bottom percentile of the league when it comes to balls pulled in the air, which is not a good trait to have when pitching in Yankee Stadium. He also has a terribly low ground ball rate, further making his profile a concern if he's making half of his starts in the Bronx.

Imanaga was an All-Star during his 2024 rookie campaign. He dealt with a hamstring issue in 2025 that sidelined him for a good amount of time, limiting him to just 25 starts. His strikeout rate dropped, his walk rate rose, and he was allowed more hard contact. We can probably chalk that up to the injury keeping him off balance.

He's definitely a talented arm that should be a sought-after commodity, but the Yankees cannot afford another chunky investment on a player that doesn't fit their exact needs.