Chicago Cubs Now Know When Japanese Phenom Can Be Signed

With the Chicago Cubs searching for a starting pitcher, they now know when they can potentially sign 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 / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Despite their starting staff being the strength of the team this past campaign, the Chicago Cubs seem like they are going to aggressively pursue another starter this offseason.

Pairing an elite arm with Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga at the top of their rotation would be a step in the right direction when it comes to their ability to contend, but it's also surprising considering how many other holes they have on their roster elsewhere.

Still, it seems like they are going to plow through with this strategy.

Who they might go after isn't quite known, especially since they are seemingly out of the Corbin Burnes sweepstakes which would also suggest they wouldn't have interest in the other top-of-the-market starters.

One player who presents high upside without breaking the bank is Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki.

Major news was made around the baseball world when it was announced that his Nippon Professional Baseball team was going to officially post him and make him available to be signed by an MLB team this winter.

While no date was set, the fact that he's coming over at 23 years old gives every team in the league an opportunity to sign him since he can only ink a minor league deal as an international free agent.

The Cubs reportedly have interest in the all-world talent.

They've had a history of landing top Japanese stars in the past, evident by Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki already being on this roster, so adding someone like Sasaki would be another huge win for this organization.

If Chicago is interested in signing the phenom, then they just got some important information on when they might be able to do that.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said he believes Sasaki will be part of the 2025 international class, so that means he wouldn't sign until after Jan. 15.

This could help the Cubs in multiple ways.

Since the 2024 cycle has pretty much already been figured out with handshake deals in place with international players, the fact that Sasaki wouldn't sign until the next period means they can still bring those prospects into their organization while pursuing the future star.

Bonus pools would reset for when Sasaki is expected to sign, so Chicago could allocate their future resources and focus only on signing him for that class.

It also gives them more time to give a sales pitch.

If things were rushed, then perhaps they wouldn't have been able to convince him to join their franchise like they have with others in the past.

The Cubs are reported to have major interest in Sasaki, and with an idea about when they can potentially sign him, they could make a hard push to have him join Chicago.