Jun 10, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs logo on the jersey of third base Matt Shaw (6) against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Insider Reveals Why Cubs Might Lose Out On Tatsuya Imai

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Dec 22, 2025 2:52 PM ET

Chicago Cubs fans are used to having to temper their expectations each offseason.

While Chicago is typically among the top earners when it comes to MLB revenue, the front office and ownership have been notoriously stingy when it comes to spending a lot of money on free agents.

While Jed Hoyer and the rest of the Cubs' brass have still been willing to put winning teams on the field despite this, they usually have to do so by executing trades (like when they traded for Kyle Tucker last offseason) or by developing home-grown talents who then can make a major impact, such as Cade Horton and Matt Shaw.

However, some believe that the difference between the Cubs being competitive in the playoffs and being a favorite to win the World Series is their unwillingness to spend big in free agency. And this unwillingness could rear its ugly head once again this offseason, especially among the starting pitcher market.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

High Price Tag Threatens Cubs’ Tatsuya Imai Plans

On December 17, MLB reporter Francys Romero conveyed that the two finalists to sign prized Japanese starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai are the Cubs and the New York Yankees. While this is obviously a positive development, the fact that New York is historically always willing to pay top dollar for top talent, while the Cubs aren't, has convinced many that Chicago is destined to be outbid for Imai.

And a December 22 article from The Athletic's Cubs insiders Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma further illustrated this. They conveyed that if Imai ends up receiving the amount of money that some insiders project he could potentially command (such as $190 million in an eight-year deal), this would most likely mean Imai won't end up with the Cubs.

This doesn't necessarily come as a surprise, given that Chicago has never signed a pitcher for more than $155 million. And it would be a big risk giving a guy who has never pitched an MLB inning close to $200 million, despite him having as high a ceiling as Imai.

A pitching-centric Cubs mailbag with @sahadevsharma as Tatsuya Imai’s deadline looms https://t.co/BMhmxWoxPe
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) December 22, 2025

That said, Mooney also noted that the Cubs aren't convinced that Imai is a true ace and worth a major, long-term investment. Should other teams agree with that assessment, it would likely bring Imai's price down, perhaps into the Cubs' range.

Regardless of who Imai ends up signing with and for how much money, his choice will be arriving within the next two weeks, as his posting window ends on January 2. If he doesn't sign by then, he will have to return to Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league.

Therefore, the Cubs have to act fast if they do decide to spend big on Imai.

This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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