Chicago Cubs offseason fate rests in Japanese star’s hands as deadline nears

The Chicago Cubs have not exactly been stagnant this offseason, but they certainly haven’t made the kinds of big moves that generate headlines and have fans buzzing.

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With the need to replenish a depleted bullpen, they went about signing four solid free agent relievers– Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and Hunter Harvey while re-signing 2025 standout Caleb Thielbar. They settled with Shota Imanaga, keeping him in the starting rotation for at least one more year on a $22 million qualifying offer. They also added some bench depth with the additions of first baseman Tyler Austin and utility man Scott Kingery.

But the really big moves have yet to come through. There’s still need for a meaningful addition to the starting rotation and/or a position player to help fill Kyle Tucker’s spot in the lineup.

The Cubs’ plans are about to be hurried up real fast in the coming days.

The clock is ticking on Tatsuya Imai

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Japanese free agent pitcher Tatsuya Imai has a posting deadline of January 2 and what happens with the 27-year-old righty will likely determine Chicago’s rest-of-offseason plans.

Imai has been dominant pitching for the Saitama Seibu Lions, delivering a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 163.2 innings last season and posting an ERA no greater than 2.70 since 2022. Contract predictions range from $135 to $175 million over 6 to 7 years, but there are some legitimate concerns regarding his size and his slender frame. Plus, there’s always the harsh reality that the Cubs simply do not deal in nine-digit deals, especially when it comes to pitching.

And even as buzz intensifies regarding the Cubs as finalists in the pursuit of Imai, there’s also been rumbling about them possibly backing off and looking for a better financial deal amid uncertainty about his durability and overall game.

Imai, however, remains a huge deciding factor in where Jed Hoyer and company decide to take this offseason.

Imai plays a major role in Cubs’ offseason strategy

If the Cubs do land the Japanese star, even on a creative Imanaga-like deal, one can safely assume that they’re out on any further major moves. Alex Bregman will be a no-go, unless the space-time continuum goes absolutely bonkers and Cubs ownership suddenly decides to push themselves past the dreaded luxury tax threshold.

If the Cubs DON’T get Imai, though, the rest of the offseason suddenly gets a lot more interesting.

Bregman would still be in play. And if they get Bregman, there’s a distinct possibility that they will put forth a concerted effort to package some young talent in a deal for a high-end starting pitcher with years of team control ahead, like Edward Cabrera or Mackenzie Gore. If they don’t get Bregman, they could make a play for a starting pitcher like Zac Gallen.

Right now, there’s been total silence regarding Imai’s courting, although the Cubs and the Yankees have been mentioned as favorites in the pursuit. It’s also been revealed by Imai, himself, that he’s whittled down the competition to just three or four teams.

Imai speaks

According to Yakyu Cosmopolitan’s translated and paraphrased account of Imai’s appearances on the TV Asahi program, the young pitcher is also not in that much of a hurry to make up his mind, despite a hard deadline approaching.

Per Imai:

“I’m not really paying attention to the media reports. Yoshida suddenly signed with the Red Sox one day. Nobody predicted Murakami’s situation, either. What I see for myself, think, and feel is what’s important to me. That’s all I trust.

I wanted to personally visit every team that expressed interest in me, but I was told it would be difficult if there were so many, so Mr. Boras [his agent] said to narrow it down to just 3 or 4 before I go to the U.S […] I think that’s where we’re at now in terms of teams.”

There have reportedly been meetings with the undisclosed favorites, but no formal offers have been revealed just yet.

It’s worth noting, however that, just about three days before Imai’s posting deadline, a deal could already be in the works and simply awaiting official announcement. A signing could also come down to the wire, as Imanaga’s deal with the Cubs did back in 2024.

Whatever the case, Imai officially coming off the market will determine how the Cubs spend the rest of this winter.

The post Chicago Cubs offseason fate rests in Japanese star’s hands as deadline nears appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-tatsuta-imai-jed-hoyer-imanaga-free-agent