Chicago Cubs: Will Japan loom large in Cubs’ 2026 plans?

The Chicago Cubs have some work to do this offseason.

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First and foremost, they’ll most likely have to find a way to replace an outgoing Kyle Tucker as the four-time All-Star right fielder is expected to move on to a more free-spending team via free agency.

The Cubs will also have to rebuild almost an entire bullpen as six of the eight relievers on their NLDS roster will probably be gone next year via free agency or, in the case of Andrew Kittredge, by rejected team option.

There will need to be some tinkering and fortifying of the starting rotation as well, with several question marks related to health and consistency casting doubt on the entire staff.

Chicago Cubs might look to Japan, Murakami

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With need staring them in the face and an unwillingness to dig deep into their revenue to fill holes at full free agent market value, Cubs president Jed Hoyer and the front office could very well look to Japan for answers this winter.

In the recent past, the Cubs were able to pick up Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki on creative, comparatively team-friendly deals that are right up Chicago’s alley in terms of contract preferences.

The biggest Japanese name available this offseason will be third baseman/first baseman Munetaka Murakami.

The 25-year-old has a wealth of pro ball experience with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows despite his young age. Already an 8-year pro with 265 home runs, the left-handed slugger has consistently been a productive offensive powerhouse.

Despite having arthroscopic elbow surgery and suffering through an oblique injury last season, he still managed to hit 24 home runs in 69 games, with an OPS of 1.051.

Murakami is below-average with the glove at third and just barely adequate at first, but he could be handed the third base gig until eventually replacing a possibly outgoing Suzuki, who is eligible for free agency after next season, at DH. Bringing him aboard would also give the Cubs the opportunity to shop Matt Shaw in a package deal for a controllable front-half-of-rotation starting pitcher.

A high-end Japanese starter to consider

However, if the goal is a front-three starting pitcher, the Cubs could cut the workarounds and go straight at 27-year-old righty Tatsuya Imai.

The nine-year veteran has been one of the top pitching stars in the Japanese league over the last several seasons, posting a sub-2.50 ERA as a starter every year since 2022. Last year, he had a career year with a 1.92 ERA over 24 games and 163.2 innings. Versatile and hard-throwing, Imai is likely to be made available to MLB teams this offseason.

Neither Murakami nor Imai will come cheap, however. Former MLB exec and current MLB insider for The Athletic, Jim Bowden, projects Murakami to bag a 6-year, $160 million contract while Imai is expected to land a deal worth about $154 million over seven years. Both the length of contract as well as the overall payout might rule the Cubs out of the hunt.

Bringing Americans back home?

On the more economical side of a Japanese talent hunt, though, the Cubs might end up pursuing a pair of American pitchers who found success overseas but would like to come back home.

Lefty swing man Anthony Kay was claimed off waivers by the Cubs in 2022, but DFA’d the following year. He eventually found his way to Japan where he re-tooled, refocused, and found success with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars as a starter. Last season, he posted a remarkable 1.74 ERA in 155 innings over 24 starts.

Although the 30-year-old is not a strikeout pitcher by any stretch of the imagination, his groundball rate of greater than 50% makes him a great fit for the Cubs and their stellar infield defense. Perhaps just as important to a bottom line-minded Cubs front office, he might be signed on the cheap to a one-year deal as a way to prove his MLB chops before heading off to free agency once again at the end of 2026. The Cubs have proven themselves to be an ideal spot for a pitcher looking to rehab his reputation.

Similarly, 30-year-old southpaw Foster Griffin may be looking to get back to America after three successful seasons with the Yumiori Giants in Japan. Also a groundball pitcher, the former Kansas City Royals top prospect posted a 1.52 ERA in 89 innings over 17 starts last season. Like Kay, he might also be open to an economical one-year deal as a way to reintroduce himself to the US scene.

For a team seemingly fixated on working around big-money free agent deals, Japan could offer a favorable side market for a couple of 2026 pickups. Time will tell whether the Cubs will once again dip into the Japanese league talent pool.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-japan-free-agents-murakami-imai