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ORLANDO, Fla. — The return of left-hander Shota Imanaga on an accepted qualifying offer gave the Chicago Cubs clarity on how their rotation might take shape in 2026.

With Imanaga back in the fold, Cubs manager Craig Counsell believes the 32-year-old lefty’s mindset this offseason and into the season will be about getting better and putting himself in a place where he should be.

“I’m really excited about Shota, I think he is in a really good place,” Counsell said Tuesday at MLB’s annual winter meetings . “I think sometimes not achieving what we want or not getting the opportunities we want or not performing how we want is the best teacher for us and it’s the best motivator for us.

“I think Shota is going to take his lessons from last year

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