Ranking Cubs SP Kevin Gausman, Shota Imanaga Landing Spots Ahead of MLB Free Agency

The Chicago Cubs will face some interesting decisions this offseason regarding their starting rotation.

At the forefront of that will be veterans Kevin Gausman and Shota Imanaga, who are set to become free agents.

Gausman, 35, mostly struggled after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Meanwhile, Imanaga made 30-plus starts for the first time in his career after accepting the qualifying offer last offseason. However, his fifth-place finish in 2024 NL Cy Young voting increasingly feels like an outlier.

The Cubs could let both Gausman and Imanaga, who will turn 34 in September 2027, leave in free agency. Justin Steele has barely pitched the last two seasons, Edward Cabrera had a disappointing first season in Chicago, and Matthew Boyd could also wind up a free agent if either side declines their half of a $15 million mutual option. So there's a lot to work through on the north side.

With all that acknowledged, here are five potential landing spots in free agency for Gausman and Imanaga.

Zac Gallen will likely depart in free agency after posting a 6.12 ERA across 104.1 innings during his eighth season with the Snakes. That could open the door for Gausman to sign a one-year deal and help stabilize the rotation.

Even the returning starters the Diamondbacks will have in 2027—Corbin Burnes, Eduardo Rodríguez, and Merrill Kelly—have notable injuries and/or underperformance in the not-so-distant past.

With Michael Soroka set to join Gallen in free agency, the D-Backs would be wise to add another veteran arm to their rotation. They might end up with a surplus heading into the season, but most teams end up needing far more than five starters to get through the year.

Gausman spent the final half of the season with the Cubs, but given how popular he was during his four-and-a-half seasons with the Blue Jays, it's not hard to imagine a Merrill Kelly-esque return this offseason for the veteran righty.

Max Scherzer, Jameson Taillon and Shane Bieber will be coming off the books this offseason. Bowden Francis had Tommy John surgery in February, so it might be a stretch for him to be ready for Opening Day. José Berríos had Tommy John surgery in May, so he's more likely in play for the second half of the 2027 season. Cody Ponce will also be returning from a major procedure, as he tore the ACL in his right knee in April.

The point is, the Blue Jays will need starting pitching depth heading into 2027. A one-year deal with Gausman would give them that, even if he's no longer a top-of-the-rotation starter.

In each of the past two offseasons, San Francisco president of baseball operations Buster Posey has given a one-year deal to a veteran righty; Justin Verlander in 2025 and Tyler Mahle in 2026.

Could Gausman be that guy in 2027? Even if we assume the Giants will keep resisting Logan Webb trade inquiries, they could still add another veteran to Tiny Vitello's rotation after trading both Mahle and Robbie Ray before the trade deadline.

Gausman, of course, previously pitched for the Giants. He really hit his stride during his two seasons with the Giants in 2020 and 2021, going 17-9 with a 3.00 ERA over 251.2 innings.

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As CJ Abrams and James Wood get more expensive, it's unclear how the Nationals will operate this offseason. Will they spend money to build around what was one of baseball's better offenses for most of the year, or will they seriously consider trade offers for one or both of their lineup anchors?

Either way, the Nats will need innings from their rotation. Gausman has six consecutive seasons of at least 170 innings pitched, so at the very least, he's a good bet to eat innings for them. He also has a higher ceiling than Miles Mikolas, whom Washington signed hoping for a career revival before the 2026 season.

The Nationals just gave Cade Cavalli a contract extension, but to really compete, they need to add a bunch of pitching to both the starting rotation and the bullpen. Gausman could give them a much-needed veteran presence.

Prior to the trade deadline, the Tigers dealt both Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. Verlander—who hardly pitched at all in his final season—will be retiring. It's safe to say that president of baseball operations Scott Harris will be in the market for starting pitching this offseason.

While Skubal has publicly said he would consider a return to the Tigers in free agency, it's hard to imagine owner Christopher Ilitch authorizing Harris to sign a deal exceeding Yoshinobu Yamamoto's $325 million pact.

Gausman would be a more affordable option, slotting into a rotation also set to feature Framber Valdez, Keider Montero and Jackson Jobe in 2027.

Given the uncertainty in the Cubs' rotation, one would think they'd at least keep tabs on the market for Shota Imanaga in the offseason.

With that said, the Cubs declined a three-year, $57.75 million option on Imanaga's contract last offseason. Granted, they ultimately issued him the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer, but from the moment they declined that option, it felt like time was ticking on Imanaga's tenure with the Cubs.

The Cubs may have hoped Imanaga would decline their QO last offseason, setting them up to receive draft-pick compensation if he signed elsewhere. This time around, Jed Hoyer and company will be left empty-handed if Imanaga walks.

As mentioned with Gausman, the Nationals need veteran pitching. Take any starting pitcher that's a free agent—particularly ones who aren't likely to command gigantic contracts—and they probably will be an on-paper fit for the Nationals.

Perhaps they could circle back with Foster Griffin in free agency because he's struggled since being dealt to the Cleveland Guardians. If not, Imanaga could make sense.

Unlike with Gausman, Imanaga could receive multiple years in free agency, so that's something to weigh when considering him.

The Cubs might not represent Imanaga's only opportunity to remain in Chicago this offseason.

With a lineup that includes Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth, Munetaka Murakami and Tristan Peters, there's a good young nucleus of offensive talent on the South Side. If you're wondering how the White Sox went from 121 losses in 2024 to the postseason two years later, that's a pretty good place to start.

Still, this team isn't a finished product. Sean Burke and Davis Martin are a nice one-two punch, but there's not necessarily a slam-dunk starting pitching prospect near the majors. So adding Imanaga could help the White Sox make a second consecutive postseason appearance in 2027.

As with Gausman, the Giants could make some sense for Imanaga. He would replace the left-handed presence they lost when trading the aforementioned Ray to the San Diego Padres.

Imanaga has a 4.15 ERA over two career starts at Oracle Park, but pitching his home games in such a pitcher-friendly environment could help him limit the number of home runs he allows.

If Logan Webb bounces back in 2027, some combination of him, Imanaga and Landen Roupp could be a pretty good start to a rotation. Posey and company might have to add multiple arms in free agency after moving Ray and Mahle before the trade deadline.

Basically the entire Padres rotation will be free agents after this season. That might sound like hyperbole, but it's not.

Ray and Mize were acquired as rentals before the trade deadline. Walker Buehler, who logged over 150 innings, is a free agent. Michael King and Nick Pivetta can also opt out of their contracts and become free agents.

So essentially, every free-agent pitcher makes sense as a fit for the Padres. Imanaga—who has five shutout innings in his career at Petco Park—is among them.