Chicago Cubs Linked to Japanese Phenom Relief Pitcher

With the bullpen proving it had holes in it last season, the Chicago Cubs are interested in signing a Japanese phenom relief pitcher during free agency this offseason.

As the Chicago Cubs figure out their strategy for upgrading this roster into becoming a playoff contending team, ownership will need to decide how much money they're willing to spend.

The more resources the front office can use, the more likely that they'll be able to retain their star Cody Bellinger and add other pieces to fill the holes evident on the roster.

It became clear that the bullpen needs some work despite the young, promising arms that the Cubs have in their farm system.

One player they could be looking at acquiring is Japanese phenom Yuki Matsui, who is eligible to be signed by an MLB team this offseason.

Chicago has been linked to the left handed reliever and are one of nine teams showing interest in signing him.

Matsui turns 28 later in October and already has 10 years of professional baseball experience under his belt over in Japan.

He has a career ERA of 2.40 and has recorded 236 saves for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, becoming the second-youngest player to ever record 200 saves.

The Japanese team would like to have him back and will reportedly offer Matsui roughly $10.7 million in USD to stay with Rakuten instead of going to the MLB.

However, Matsui hired Bryan Minniti as his agent, signally that he is leaning towards exploring his options in the United States.

The Cubs have a lack of left handed options out of the bullpen and could view the Japanese phenom as an important piece moving forward, whether he becomes the closer or a late inning shutdown guy.

He's definitely a player to keep an eye on as free agency begins because of the interest he already has from other teams and the potential that he could stay overseas.