"Balls can fly out in Chicago" - Former MLB player contemplates possible downside of Cubs' reported Shota Imanaga signing

The Chicago Cubs are reportedly close to signing Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga. While Imanaga has plenty of upside, MLB analyst Xavier Scruggs highlighted one potential drawback.

On MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, Scruggs said while Imanaga would add depth to the Cubs rotation and potentially fill the void left by Marcus Stroman's departure, his age and the conditions in Chicago are causes for concern.

“He does have some really good swing-and-miss stuff. Uses a good fastball at the top of the zone… I love the idea that now you have somebody that’s had a lot of success in the Japanese league year after year,” said Scruggs.

“He’s been one of the most dominant in the Japanese league for a long time now… So excited to see what he can bring to the table.”

Imanga will turn 31 this September and that's one aspect that could work against him, according to Scruggs.

“At age 30, the one concern that I have is the flyball rate, right? The home run rate. And we know in Chicago, balls can fly out of there.”

The Japanese pitcher was posted by the Yokohama BayStars and many teams were in the race to secure his services, including the LA Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and the Cubs.

It appears that Chicago has won the race, with Imanaga set to start his MLB career alongside countryman Seiza Suzuki.

MLB insider Jon Morosi reported that will pocket around $15 million annually.

Shota Imanaga’s career so far

Shota Imanaga was drafted in the first round by the Yokohama DeNa BayStars in 2015. Across eight seasons, he has a 2.96 ERA and has struck out 1183 batters.

He represented Japan in the World Baseball Classic last year.

At the Cubs, he will join a rotation that includes breakout lefty Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, and Jameson Taillon.