ORLANDO – Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer didn’t mince words when asked about the impact of left-hander Shota Imanaga accepting the qualifying offer for next season.

“Clearly we wouldn’t have offered it if we weren’t excited to have him back and if we were going to be handcuffed by it,” Hoyer said Monday, addressing rumors to the contrary, “We weren’t blindsided.”

The Cubs weren’t initially sure what Imanaga would decide after his club and player options were declined and the team extended him the $22.025 million qualifying offer for 2026.

“It gave some clarity as far as the rotation,” Hoyer said. “It gave some clarity as far as available dollars. We knew going in that there was a possibility that that could happen – and a good thing.”

Imanaga, who in his 2024 rookie season finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting, struggled down the stretch last season and into the playoffs. But the prevailing theory is that the hamstring injury he sustained in early May eventually impacted his mechanics late in the season.

“Everything for him kind of stems off of the great ride he has on the fastball,” Hoyer said, “and that wasn’t the case at the end of the year.”

The Cubs are confident that their offseason plan for him can help address those issues.

“We’re definitely getting a super-motivated pitcher back,” Hoyer said. “He didn’t like the way the season ended.”

Boyd balancing WBC ramp-up

For pitchers, especially, committing to play in the World Baseball Classic means an early ramp-up entering spring training. But for Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd, who has committed to Team USA for the tournament, that schedule won’t be altogether unfamiliar.

“He had to ramp up early last year, and it worked out pretty well for him,” Hoyer said Monday. “So I don’t think the schedule will be that dissimilar to what we had to do for Japan.”

Last year, the Cubs arrived in spring training early to prepare for the Tokyo Series on March 18-19. Boyd, entering his first full season since returning the previous August from Tommy John surgery, showcased a jump in velocity in an exhibition game in Japan, before posting a 3.21 ERA during the season.

“All the testing we were doing on him throughout, he maintained his strength really well,” Hoyer said.

Talent in Japan

This year’s free agent class coming over from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball is headlined by right-hander Tatsuya Imai – who the Cubs have expressed interest in, a source confirmed – and power-hitting third baseman Munetaka Murakami.

“This may be the best year so far, as far as players coming over from Japan,” Hoyer said. “There’s a number of really good players.”

The Cubs have put an emphasis on talent evaluation and acquisition from the Pacific Rim in recent years, resulting in the signings of right fielder Seiya Suzuki in 2022 and Imanaga last year.