Chicago Cubs Listed as Top Contender for Japanese Phenom Roki Sasaki

The Chicago Cubs have been named as a potential landing spot for Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki.

Mar 20, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (14) delivers a pitch during the first inning against Mexico at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs could not put everything together at the same time consistently enough in 2024 to find their way into the playoffs.

The offense and bullpen both sat around the middle of the pack for the year, with the offense finishing 13th in MLB in combined OPS (.710), and the relievers finishing 12th in combined ERA (3.81).

While both of those marks fell short of keeping up with the National League Central Champion Milwaukee Brewers, the Cubs were far better in starting pitching with their starters combining for a 3.77 ERA, good enough for sixth in MLB.

Chicago had intentions of improving their offense, and that could still be the case, but recent developments may see the club change course slightly.

On Saturday, the Chiba Lotte Marines announced that they will be posting 23-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki, allowing the pitcher to sign with a Major League club.

This comes as a shock to many, as at only 23, teams are only allowed to offer Sasaki a minor league contract, lowering the amount of money that will need to be paid to the Marines immensely, so many expected the posting to come later in the phenom's career, more along the lines of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

That is not the case, however, as Chiba Lotte said that they want to respect Sasaki's wishes and allow him to face the best competition available, and that now opens the door for virtually any team to vie for his services.

While any team can pursue Sasaki in free agency once officially posted, not every team will have the same opportunity, as there are only a handful of teams that make sense for the starter, either through their contention windows or their ties to Pacific Rim players currently on their roster.

The Cubs fall into the second category, with Shota Imanaga playing a big role in their pitching staff, and a recent report from Will Sammon for The Athletic lists the club among the handful of teams that realistically make sense.

"The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres," writes Sammon, "are also among the teams that have extensively scouted and signed players from Asia in recent years."

The usual suspects that are not named above are also realistic candidates in the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Mets, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

This could be a huge coup for Chicago, as if they are able to convince Sasaki to sign with them, their already stellar pitching staff will get that much better, perhaps even being a top-three rotation in MLB.

It is an exciting time to be a baseball fan, and that excitement continues to grow with each new development this offseason.