CHICAGO -- The door has not been entirely closed on seeing Kyle Tucker or Shota Imanaga back in a Cubs uniform next season, but the team took a necessary step on Thursday to net some compensation if either does sign elsewhere.

Prior to Thursday’s deadline, Chicago extended a one-year qualifying offer worth $22.025 million to both Tucker and Imanaga for the 2026 season, sources told MLB.com. If either player declines the offer and signs with a new team, the Cubs would then be in line for Draft-pick compensation.

In the history of the qualifying offer system before this offseason (since 2012), only 14 out of 144 players had accepted the one-year deal. Tucker, Imanaga and the rest of the free agents around baseball who received a QO on Thursday have until 3 p.m. CT on Nov. 18 to e

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