"I would say the feel-good part of signing Imai for the Cubs, along with the baseball smartness of the deal, is pretty equal,"
"If the Cubs come out of the winter here and they've signed Imai, they haven't added another hitter to replace Tucker, I think they're gonna be alright."
"Because you have the young hitting options in Ballesteros and Caissie to go along with what you already have in Suzuki kind of reinventing himself as a right fielder again last year when Tucker was out."
The Cubs have prioritized pitching this winter, adding bullpen pieces economically and now targeting rotation upgrades for depth and upside. Tatsuya Imai, a 27-year-old Japanese right-hander, is a leading target with a decision due January 2. Imai would provide a controllable starter the Cubs could build around once several large contracts expire after this season. His projected salary is about $25 million annually, which would consume much of the approximately $40 million remaining under the first luxury-tax threshold. If Imai signs elsewhere, the Cubs may pivot from pursuing top starting pitchers to making a major position-player addition.
Read at Cubsinsider
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