Welcome back to the Cubs Beat newsletter. Jordan Bastian has covered baseball for MLB.com since 2005, including the Cubs since the 2019 season. MLB.com’s David Adler contributed to this edition.

CHICAGO -- Once Shōta Imanaga knew for certain that he was going to sign with the Cubs, he reached out to outfielder Seiya Suzuki to deliver the news.

“He was excited,” Imanaga said during his introductory press conference, during which Cubs software engineer Shingo Murata served as his interpreter. “He showed happiness as if this was happening to Seiya himself. That really excites me, and I really look forward to helping the Cubs team together.”

The Cubs signed Imanaga to a four-year, $53 million deal that has the potential to grow into a five-year pact. Suzuki is entering his third season with Chicago, which signed him to a five-year, $85 million deal prior to the ‘22 season. The two have history together from playing for Team Japan and in Nippon Professional Baseball.

As Imanaga makes the transition not only to the Major Leagues but to life in the U.S., the Cubs are hopeful that Suzuki’s presence will be beneficial. The right fielder has an increased level of comfort with the city and ballclub now, and the team can use the feedback from Suzuki’s acclimation process to help Imanaga.

“The organization has learned a lot having Seiya for these two years -- what things we can do better,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “Our hope has always been that we want to be a destination for Japanese players. I think we treat them incredibly well. I think we're willing to go above and beyond to make sure that the transition goes really smoothly.”

When Suzuki was going through his own free agency, he consulted former Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish, who spoke highly of playing for the North Siders; that played a role in Suzuki’s decision. Imanaga also consulted with Darvish, who offered advice about picking a team and described Chicago as a “wonderful” place to play.

Suzuki is coming off a strong 2023 in which he hit .285 with 20 homers, 31 doubles, 74 RBIs and an .842 OPS in 138 games. That included hitting at a .350 clip with a 1.073 OPS in 50 games over the final two months. Imanaga joins the Cubs’ rotation after leading NPB in strikeouts (174 in 148 innings) last year.

Outfielder Ian Happ -- who visited with Suzuki and his family while honeymooning in Japan this offseason -- is thrilled that Imanaga will be in the fold for the next few years.

“I think it's going to be great for the locker room,” Happ said. “I think it'll be good for both of them to have that. I think multiple translators, and everything that goes along with that, I think it'll be good for the group.

“We've had Japanese guys here since I've been here -- with Koji [Uehara] and then Darvish and Seiya -- but never two at the same time. I think having that relationship, those guys will be really good.”

Suzuki’s .938 OPS in the second half of 2023 was the best mark after an All-Star break for a Cubs hitter (min. 250 PAs) since Kyle Schwarber’s .997 showing in 2019. Can you guess who has the highest second-half OPS in recorded team history?

MLB Pipeline has been unveiling its Top 10 prospects for 2024 at each position -- with the overall Top 100 to be revealed on Friday -- and the Cubs are represented at nearly every spot on the field.

Chicago has two Top 10 first basemen and one Top 10 second baseman, third baseman, catcher and outfielder. Here's a quick rundown of those highly ranked prospects.

Matt Mervis (No. 6 1B prospect)

Mervis is the first-base prospect with the most to prove, per MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo. The 25-year-old was called up to the big league club in May but struggled, with three home runs and a .531 OPS in 27 games. The lefty slugger needs to show he belongs in the Cubs’ lineup -- especially with multiple top corner-infield prospects coming up behind him.

Haydn McGeary (No. 10 1B prospect)

One of those prospects is McGeary, who's been rising through the Cubs' system. The 24-year-old wasn't even on the Cubs' Top 30 prospects list to start 2023 but has started to come into his own, slugging 16 homers after reaching Double-A.

James Triantos (No. 3 2B prospect)

Triantos is only 20 years old, but he already has the best hit tool among the Top 10 second-base prospects. His insanely low strikeout rate at High-A last year (10.7%) and his insanely high batting average in the Arizona Fall League (.417) have led to comps with Alex Bregman and David Wright.

Michael Busch (No. 7 3B prospect)

MLB Pipeline predicts that Busch, acquired from the Dodgers earlier this month, could be a Rookie of the Year contender in 2024. The 26-year-old lefty slugger is ready for the big leagues after tearing up the upper levels of the Minors. His path to immediate playing time might be at first base, meaning he's also competition for Mervis and McGeary. 

Moises Ballesteros (No. 8 C prospect)

It's always good to have a top catcher in the pipeline. Ballesteros is only 20 and might not be in the Majors for a little while. But will he be the next Willson Contreras one day?

Pete Crow-Armstrong (No. 8 OF prospect) 

Crow-Armstrong made his MLB debut in September and was an immediate difference-maker with his speed and defense -- that's why he's the top-graded outfield prospect in both of those categories -- but he has yet to record his first big league hit. That should come in 2024. If the 21-year-old's bat catches up to his other tools, he could also be in the Rookie of the Year mix.

• Ryne Sandberg being treated for metastatic prostate cancer. Read more >>

• 1 upgrade Cubs should make before camp. Read more >>

• Hall of Fame Class of 2024 announced. Here's who's in. Read more >>

“He's immensely talented. He really is. I think what we saw at the end of the year hopefully was a harbinger of things to come, where he's starting to get comfortable.” -- Hoyer, on Suzuki

A. Sosa

Sosa had a 1.225 OPS (.441 OBP/.785 SLG) with 35 homers and 77 RBIs after the All-Star break in 2001. Next on this list is Rogers Hornsby’s showing in 1929, when he hit at a .407 clip with a 1.207 OPS in the season’s second half.

To subscribe to Cubs Beat, visit this page and mark "Cubs Beat" from our newsletter list. Make sure you're following the Cubs or that they're checked as your favorite team. 

View Online