Missing out on Tatsuya Imai only heightens the pressure on the Cubs' front office to address a rotation that they publicly claimed was a priority.
It’s difficult to say exactly why the Chicago Cubs were unable to get a deal done with Japanese right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai.
For most of the offseason—really up until the final few days before his signing deadline—the Cubs felt like the frontrunner.
The need was obvious. Jed Hoyer spoke publicly about prioritizing pitching at the GM Meetings, and even after Shota Imanaga returned on a qualifying offer, Hoyer acknowledged the Cubs were “definitely looking for another starter.”
Imai checked every box. He’s right-handed, which would have helped balance a lefty-heavy rotation that already includes Justin Steele, Matthew Boyd, and Imanaga. He’s still in his prime, durable, and has the upside to develop into a true ace—someone you trust with the ball in a do-or-die playoff game.
That’s exactly what the 2025 Cubs lacked, especially once injuries sidelined Steele and Cade Horton while the team was trying to advance in October.
Instead, Imai signed with the Houston Astros on New Year’s Day, agreeing to a three-year, $54 million contract with incentives that could push the total value to $63 million. The deal includes an opt-out after every season, giving Imai the flexibility to re-enter free agency if he performs well and raises his stock.
That won’t matter to the Cubs in 2026—a year in which this team should be pushing its chips to the center of the table.
According to reports, Imai had longer-term offers with lower AAVs, but he chose Houston’s structure: higher annual salary and maximum flexibility. It’s hard to blame him. From the player’s perspective, it’s incredibly team-friendly.
So what happened on the Cubs’ end? Did they lowball him? Did their evaluations reveal something they didn’t like? Or did Imai simply prefer not to join a team that already features multiple Japanese stars, having previously expressed interest in playing without countrymen teammates? The Cubs currently roster both Seiya Suzuki and Imanaga.
I’m not sure there’s a definitive answer—and I’m not sure it really matters.
What does matter is that we’ve turned the calendar to 2026 and the Cubs still haven’t made a significant impact addition in free agency. They’ve shored up the bullpen with a collection of one-year deals for proven arms, and that part of the roster looks stable.
But this is also a team that lacked the starting pitching to go toe-to-toe with the National League’s elite, endured prolonged offensive disappearances during the regular season, and is now staring down the likely loss of its best overall player—Kyle Tucker—just one year after trading for him.
You’d think there would be more urgency.
So what’s next?
It’s reasonable to assume the Cubs are still hunting for a starter who fits their criteria. They could revisit the idea of Zac Gallen, something they explored earlier in the offseason.
They could also turn to the short-term veteran market. One-year deals for Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander remain plausible. Both are over 40 and motivated to pitch for contenders, and Chicago could offer rotation depth that allows for managed workloads.
If you’re looking for someone to take the ball in a big playoff moment, that’s not the worst bet.
Verlander was quietly productive for the Giants in 2025, and while Scherzer didn’t look like himself during the regular season in Toronto, he delivered three massive postseason starts for the Blue Jays—including a quality outing in Game 7 of the World Series.
If those options don’t appeal, the trade market may be the next stop. Names like Edward Cabrera, Joe Ryan, or Mitch Keller would certainly raise the rotation’s ceiling—but none will come cheap, likely requiring the Cubs to part with real MLB talent. Perhaps Matt Shaw.
That’s why Imai felt like the right fit.
Options are thinning. And if the Cubs are serious about making a legitimate pennant push in 2026, they can’t afford to keep sitting on the sidelines.