Tucker, Imanaga receive qualifying offers from Cubs

CHICAGO -- The door has not been entirely closed on seeing Kyle Tucker or Shota Imanaga back in a Cubs uniform next season, but the team took a necessary step on Thursday to net some compensation if either does sign elsewhere.

Prior to Thursday’s deadline, Chicago extended a one-year qualifying offer worth $22.025 million to both Tucker and Imanaga for the 2026 season. If either player declines the offer and signs with a new team, the Cubs would then be in line for Draft-pick compensation.

In the history of the qualifying offer system before this offseason (since 2012), only 14 out of 144 players had accepted the one-year deal. Tucker, Imanaga and the rest of the free agents around baseball who received a QO on Thursday have until 3 p.m. CT on Nov. 18 to either accept or decline the offer.

As arguably the top offensive player on the open market this offseason, Tucker is expected to turn down the one-year offer in favor of seeking a lucrative long-term contract in free agency. The Cubs acquired him from the Astros in a blockbuster trade last December, fully aware that it could be a one-year partnership.

After Chicago was eliminated from the playoffs following its National League Division Series loss to Milwaukee, Tucker was not sure how the next few months would go for him.

“We’ll see what happens,” Tucker said. “I don’t know what the future is going to hold. If [I sign elsewhere], it was an honor playing with all these guys and I wish everyone the best of luck.”

Tucker, who will turn 29 years old in January, ranks 11th in the Majors in bWAR (25.4) over the past five seasons. In 2025 with the Cubs, injury issues limited him to 136 games, but he made his fourth All-Star team and finished hitting .266/.377/.464 with 22 homers, 25 doubles, 73 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, 91 runs scored and nearly as many walks (87) as strikeouts (88).

The situation surrounding Imanaga is a bit more layered.

Prior to reaching this point in the negotiating process, the Cubs declined a three-year, $57.75 million option on Imanaga, who then declined a $15.25 million player option for ‘26. That made the 32-year-old lefty a free agent and, in turn, eligible for the qualifying offer that represents a pay bump over the options that were initially available.

In two seasons with the Cubs, Imanaga has gone 24-11 with a 3.28 ERA in 318 innings, striking out 291 and walking only 54 in his 54 starts. He was an All-Star in 2024, when he also helped author a combined no-hitter and garnered down-ballot votes for both the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year.

Imanaga got off to a strong start again in 2025, but a left hamstring strain stalled his season for nearly all of May and June. Overall, the lefty had a 3.73 ERA in 25 starts, ending with 117 strikeouts and 26 walks in 144 2/3 innings. Imanaga struggled with allowing home runs, giving up 31 total, including 20 in his last 12 starts.

“When we signed Shota,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said after the playoffs, “if you sort of had shown us his production the last two years, we would’ve taken that in a heartbeat. Not only has he produced for us, but he’s a great teammate, a terrific asset to the organization. Obviously, we have decisions to make.”