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CHICAGO — The Cubs finalized a deal with Japanese lefty Shota Imanaga on Wednesday, agreeing to a four-year, $53 million contract, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.

The deal has several provisions, including the team’s option to extend the contract — after both Years 2 and 3 — to $80 million over five years. But if the Cubs decline in either year, Imanaga can choose to become a free agent or remain in the original contract.

The agreement came as Imanaga’s posting window was coming to a close. He had until Thursday to sign with an MLB team or return to the Yokohama Bay Stars in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization. The Cubs will also pay just under $10 million ($9,825,000) to the Bay Stars in the form of a release fee.

Imanaga is seen as perhaps the best pitcher in the second tier of this free agent class, with countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto joining Blake Snell, Aaron Nola and Jordan Montgomery among the most sought-after arms.

Imanaga is the first major move of the offseason by the Cubs, who still have holes at first and potentially third base. A reunion with centerfielder Cody Bellinger is still possible, though the sides haven’t closed in on a deal yet.

The Pittsburgh Pirates also had some interest in Imanaga, according to sources, but ultimately the lefty chose Chicago, where he has been based since Christmas.

Imanaga fits near the top of the Cubs’ rotation behind ace Justin Steele. Jameson Taillon and Kyle Hendricks slot in next, with youngsters Jordan Wicks and Javier Assad in the mix at the back end.

Steele is under team control for several more years, while Taillon is on a long-term deal. Hendricks will be a free agent after the 2024 season.

Besides Wicks and Assad, the team is also banking on its farm system to keep churning out young pitchers, as highly touted prospects Cade Horton and Ben Brown could make their way to the big leagues next season.

Imanaga started the World Baseball Classic final for Team Japan and earned the win in the finals against the U.S., allowing one run over two innings, while Team USA starter Merrill Kelly gave up a pair of runs in 1⅓ innings. In six innings at the WBC, Imanaga allowed two runs on seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan contributed to this report.

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Agent: Skaggs named Reds’ Miley as drug supplier

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Agent: Skaggs named Reds' Miley as drug supplier

LOS ANGELES — Cincinnati Reds left-hander Wade Miley is accused in court documents of providing drugs to the late Tyler Skaggs, the Los Angeles Angels pitcher who died of an accidental overdose in 2019.

Skaggs’ former agent, Ryan Hamill, said in a deposition that Skaggs told him he was using pain pills containing oxycodone that were provided by Miley.

The deposition is part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Skaggs’ family against the Angels in California. A former publicist for the Angels, Eric Kay, was convicted in Texas of providing the fentanyl-laced pills that an autopsy found contributed to Skaggs’ death. Kay was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison.

Skaggs died in the team hotel in a Dallas suburb. His body was found hours before what was supposed to be the start of a series between the Angels and Texas Rangers.

Miley, 38, is not facing criminal charges, and it’s not the first time his name has come up in relation to Skaggs’ death. During the sentencing phase of Kay’s case, prosecutors used a recording of a conversation between Kay and his mother in which Kay said Miley was one of Skaggs’ drug suppliers.

The Reds had no comment Thursday, and Miley wasn’t immediately available for comment.

Matt Harvey, now a retired major league pitcher, testified during Kay’s trial that he provided drugs to Skaggs. Harvey was later suspended for 60 days for violating MLB’s drug policy. He didn’t pitch in the major leagues again. Harvey and three other players also testified they received pills from Skaggs and described the recreational drug use they witnessed while with the Angels.

Harvey and Skaggs were teammates with the Angels in 2019. Skaggs and Miley were teammates with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012 and 2013.

Hamill said the conversation in which Skaggs implicated Miley took place in 2013. Hamill had expressed concern to Skaggs’ parents about what he said was erratic behavior from the pitcher in a phone conversation. Hamill said he and Skaggs’ parents confronted Skaggs at home, leading to Skaggs’ admission that he was using drugs and the accusation that Miley was supplying them.

Miley signed a one-year contract with the Reds on June 4 and has made two starts this season. He had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in May 2024 and signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati in February.

Miley had an opt-out clause if he didn’t reach the big leagues by June 1. The 14-year veteran executed that clause but remained with Cincinnati while he pursued potential deals with other clubs before re-signing with the Reds.

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Angels call up ’24 No. 8 pick Moore, source says

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Angels call up '24 No. 8 pick Moore, source says

The Los Angeles Angels are calling up infielder Christian Moore, the No. 8 pick in last year’s draft, and he could make his big league debut Friday night in Baltimore, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez amid multiple reports.

Moore, 22, was promoted to Triple-A in mid-May and did well enough to join the Angels, whose offense is 13th in runs scored in the American League. He batted .279 with 5 home runs and 32 RBIs and a .796 OPS combined at Double-A Rocket City and Triple-A Salt Lake this season.

Moore’s rapid ascent through the Angels’ farm system follows a trend under general manager Perry Minasian, who previously promoted shortstop Zach Neto (48 minor league games) and first baseman Nolan Schanuel (21 games) early in their pro careers.

Moore is ranked the fourth-best prospect in the Angels’ system, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

A Brooklyn native, Moore hit a Tennessee-record 34 home runs in 72 games last year in helping power the Vols to their first men’s College World Series title.

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Brewers rookie allows no hits, then forced to exit

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Brewers rookie allows no hits, then forced to exit

MILWAUKEE — Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski left his highly anticipated major league debut when he slipped on the front part of the mound after holding the St. Louis Cardinals hitless through five innings of a 6-0 win Thursday night.

Misiorowski had just thrown a third straight ball to Victor Scott to open the sixth when his foot landed awkwardly. After Brewers medical staff went out to check on him, Misiorowski exited the game and Nick Mears came out of the bullpen.

The Brewers later said Misiorowski left because of cramping in his right calf and quadriceps.

The flamethrowing right-hander struck out five and walked three through the first five innings, earning the win. Scott ended up taking a fourth ball from Mears, and that walk also was charged to Misiorowski.

Mears retired the next three batters, but Willson Contreras grounded a clean single up the middle against Aaron Ashby leading off the seventh for St. Louis’ first hit.

Misiorowski spent much of the night showcasing the elite velocity that made him one of the game’s top pitching prospects.

He reached 100 mph with each of the first three pitches he threw to Lars Nootbaar to start the game. Two pitches later, Nootbaar fouled off a 102.2 mph offering. Fourteen of the 81 pitches Misiorowski threw reached at least 100 mph, the most for a rookie pitcher in a game this season.

He became the 10th player since 1891 with at least five innings pitched and no hits allowed in his major league debut. Only Pittsburgh’s Bumpus Jones has thrown a no-hitter in his MLB debut, doing so in 1892.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.

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