The Chicago Cubs head into this offseason with one thing on their minds: find a real ace. Their playoff run made it painfully obvious—the rotation just isn’t deep enough, and manager Craig Counsell didn’t trust some key arms when it mattered. Now, the Cubs seem ready to get aggressive. Suddenly, Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai, a 27-year-old with serious upside, is getting buzz as a possible fix.
Cubs’ Playoff Lessons: Bullpen Games and Rotation Doubts
The Cubs’ recent postseason showed as much about who didn’t start as who did. In big moments, Counsell went with bullpen games, mixing and matching instead of handing the ball to a trusted frontline guy.
The most telling moment? Game 5 of the NLDS against the Brewers. Shota Imanaga was available again, but Counsell didn’t use him in a crucial spot. That said a lot about the staff’s standing when the pressure was on.
Why the Cubs Can’t Run It Back with the Same Rotation
That lack of trust in Imanaga at the biggest moment still lingers. Imanaga’s talented, sure, but the Cubs don’t see him as a postseason workhorse. When October means leaning on bullpen games, you need more than just extra arms—you need better ones at the top.
This is why Chicago’s offseason feels so different this time around.
Jed Hoyer’s New Approach: Aggression Over Caution
Under president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, the Cubs usually played it safe in pitching markets. Draft-pick compensation or long-term risk? No thanks. But this winter, the signals are clear: Chicago’s ready to leave its comfort zone behind.
The first sign came fast with the multi-year deal for reliever Phil Maton. It wasn’t just that they signed him—it was how quickly they pounced. The Cubs saw a need and moved, a big change from past offseasons when they waited for the market to come to them.
Open to Qualifying-Offer Arms and Bigger Bets
The Cubs now seem open to starting pitchers tied to qualifying offers. Losing a draft pick used to be a dealbreaker. Now, they look willing to give up some future assets for a better present.
Names like Dylan Cease and Michael King pop up in rumors, but the market’s deep and the Cubs’ list is clearly longer than just a couple of headliners.
Tatsuya Imai Emerges as a Prime Target
That’s where Tatsuya Imai enters the picture. He’s not a household name for most fans, but front offices know him well. MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince even predicted the Cubs could land Imai, especially if the Dodgers miss out on their top Japanese targets.
Imai checks a lot of the Cubs’ boxes: he’s young, has upside, and could take off with the right coaching and environment.
Why Imai Fits the Cubs’ Model
At 27 years old, Imai’s in that ideal range—you’re paying for what’s ahead, not what’s behind. Just as important, he wouldn’t cost a draft pick, unlike many free agents who declined qualifying offers. For a team trying to win now and keep its pipeline healthy, that’s a big deal.
On the mound, Imai flashes a nasty spitter/changeup mix. He’s got enough velocity and command to project as more than a middle-of-the-rotation guy. With MLB coaching and some pitch design tweaks, evaluators think he could become a near top-of-the-rotation arm.
Comparing Imai’s Ceiling to Other Japanese Stars
Whenever a Japanese pitcher comes over, comparisons are inevitable. Imai’s already getting measured against Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, two recent big-name imports.
Early read? Imai’s ceiling lands somewhere in the middle.
Higher Ceiling than Imanaga, Short of Yamamoto
Scouts and analysts say Imai’s got a higher ceiling than Imanaga. That doesn’t mean Imanaga’s a bust—far from it—but Imai might have more room to grow into a real tone-setter if things break right. He’s not quite seen as the generational “ace” that Yamamoto was, though.
One wrinkle: Imai’s a Scott Boras client. His contract demands will likely be steep, and the Cubs would need to be okay with a high price and a long-term commitment.
How Imai Would Reshape the Cubs’ Rotation
For the Cubs, this isn’t just about plugging in another arm. It’s about changing the whole look of their staff. Adding Imai to the rotation alongside their mix of young arms and steady lefties could immediately take some of the October pressure off.
Right now, Chicago’s rotation is a mix of youth, bounce-back bets, and reliable left-handed options. It’s not quite enough. Maybe Imai’s the missing piece.
A Deeper, More Dangerous Rotation Mix
If the Cubs sign Imai, the rotation could look a lot different:
With that setup, Imanaga doesn’t have to carry the burden of being the ace. He can just settle into a role that fits how the Cubs seem to view him.
That means fewer bullpen games and clearer pitching roles. Suddenly, the staff looks built to handle the regular season’s grind—and maybe even October’s chaos.
If Jed Hoyer and his crew really want to push this core into contention, chasing someone like Tatsuya Imai feels like the bold swing that could actually move the needle. The Cubs know by now: you just can’t fake frontline pitching when it matters most.
Maybe this is finally the winter they pay up and get it done.
Here is the source article for this story: Cubs Rumors: MLB expert quietly tabs the team’s biggest offseason addition
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