The Chicago Cubs and Shota Imanaga look set to part ways, at least for now. According to ESPN, the Cubs declined their club option that would’ve extended Imanaga’s deal through a fifth year, which then gave the left-hander the chance to trigger his $15 million player option for 2026. Instead, he turned that down, officially hitting free agency. Imanaga made a big impression in his first MLB season, going 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 173.1 innings, good enough for a few down-ballot Cy Young votes. His second year wasn’t quite as smooth. He dealt with some late-season fatigue and a minor hamstring issue that affected his mechanics, finishing 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA.Still, in a market short on reliable starters, it appears he’s confident enough to test free agency again. Fans had plenty to say about Imanaga's decision, with some joking and others connecting dots to the usual big spenders:“Bro really said, ‘keep your $15M, I’d rather leave the group chat’ 💀,” one fan wrote.Shubham Singh Gaur🛡️𝕩 @SinghtellectualLINK@JesseRogersESPN Bro really said ..keep your $15M, I’d rather leave the group chat’ 💀“Bro is going to the Dodgers to be a bulk inning longman out of the pen 😭😭😭😭😭,” another fan said.“The Dodgers’ last infinity stone,” one fan commented.“This better be because they’re signing Kyle Tucker, because if not, this is the dumbest thing ever,” another fan commented.“Time to build the Japan National Team in LA 😂,” one fan tweeted.“How do you not pick up that option in an expensive starters market? Are the Cubs drunk???????” another fan wrote.Cubs could consider qualifying offer as Imanaga becomes one of the top arms on the marketWith Shota Imanaga officially testing free agency, the Cubs still have one final call to make. The team can extend a qualifying offer of a one-year, $22.025 million deal to secure draft-pick compensation if Imanaga signs elsewhere. If he accepts, he’d return to Chicago for 2026; if he declines, any club that signs him would forfeit one or more picks in the upcoming draft.Given his numbers and market value, Imanaga is almost certain to decline. Even at 31, he’s pitched well enough to land a multi-year contract, likely worth more than the three-year, $57.75 million he would’ve earned had the Cubs exercised their option.With Tuesday’s move, Imanaga joins Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez atop the starting-pitching market and despite being the oldest of the trio, he’s expected to draw significant attention from contenders looking for that one rotation piece to push them over the top.