Tatsuya Imai could be the TOP TARGET for Jed Hoyer and Chicago Cubs

Tatsuya Imai could be the TOP TARGET for Jed Hoyer and Chicago Cubs

I think we found the Cubs number one target. We tell you who it is next. You are Locked on Cubs, your daily Chicago Cubs podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. You are Locked On Cubs, part of the Locked On Network. Now, the number one sports podcast network. We are your team every day alongside Samber. I’m Matt Cozy. Sam and I are lifelong fans taking our passion into a discussion with you on all things Cubs. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, we’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app today. Jed Hoyer spoke at the winter meetings in Orlando on Monday. We uh sum up what he said. Get to all the rumblings possible. I have all the Cubs connections in front of me. Uh and not necessarily the rumor mill like real reporters who have connected these players to the Cubs. And in most cases actually it’s been multiple uh reporters. So, we’ll get you all those names and maybe have a a pen and paper nearby. Write those down. Keep them in your phone. You know, track along with us. And we start with who seems like the number one Cubs target right now, Sam and Tatsuya. Am I multiple outlets are connecting the Cubs to Amay? Uh, including Bruce Levine, John Haymon, and others. And it seemed like it picked up steam Friday into Saturday. I was trying to read the tea leaves myself. I I thought of my was the Cubs number one target. Then 90 minutes later we had the erroneous report about Zack Allen. But I really do Sam and the athletic too, you know, mention how the Cubs are operating in maybe a higher tier and and they understand that uh you know there it’s it might be time to strike and I just feel with Amai maybe he is that guy. And what is it about him um that that brings you uh the excitement? brings me uh the upside. The ceiling. Yeah, it is. It is. Uh it’s the upside, it’s the ceiling, it’s the it’s his pitch mix. It’s the fact that he would slot in between Steel and Boyd. Steel and Horton Boyd. Some kind of combo like that. And with a top four like that and Tyion Managa Ray Assad behind him, it gives me a lot of confidence. The 27year-old right-handed starting pitcher from Japan, Sam, after three straight years with an erra hovering around 230, Amay delivered his best season this past campaign with a 192 RA. Y struck out 28% of hitters, walked just 7%. Yep. MLB Trade Rumors has him at six years, 150. Wow. I I think that’s a deal the the Cubs would be comfortable making. And and this is what’s his fast ball sit high 90s. Is that That’s right. Right. Yeah. Yeah. I mean I I’m definitely he’s probably the guy that intrigues me most out of the three of him, Gallon, and King. I would prefer probably one of the upper two guys. U but that’s not realistic. uh uh in the Suarez land or the the Valz land, but but the the unknown is what intrigues you here. Uh the ceiling is what intrigues you here. Um you know, not a a a boatload of strikeouts uh um in Japan, which, you know, I was thinking a little bit, you know, more but but they also make a lot more contact there than we do here. um you know the the the the season that he had last year definitely pops off the page. That contract pops off the page. If the Cubs give it, you know, that that will say everything you need to know about their confidence in him. They obviously have tremendous experience uh in in you know bringing over a guy like Imanaga and there were a lot more concerns I’m sure with Imanaga than Mi or than there will be about with Amay and for a season and three quarters Shod was stellar here. Uh so yeah there there there’s a lot to like there from his perspective. You’d got to think the Cubs would be at the at the top of the list because he would have, you know, somebody like Yimanaga to really, you know, bounce things off of uh befriend, learn from, you know what I mean? I I the only caveat say it too. Yeah. Right. And you know, the only caveat would be is is are the Mets in on them and are the Dodgers in on them? And if the answer to th those two questions are yes, then I I have I find it hard to believe that we’ll be able to to do what we need to do. Well, I mean, you listed the two teams that would spark a bidding war, and if that happens, the Cubs are out. Well, yeah, it just depends how it depends how in those two teams would be because those are also two teams with with really good experience with Japanese pitchers because if I’m if I’m him, I’m going I’m going somewhere where there’s a proven track record where I’m going to be good. M and you’re well taken care of, right? Exactly. Exactly. So, well, both of those teams are connected to pitchers right now. The Mets connected to Valdez and Suarez. I’ve seen Andrew Freeman made a comment on Monday that would seem to take the Dodgers out of the big ticket items this off season, but that would be irresponsible to cross their name off the list really for anybody. You know, maybe they operate in the trade market instead. Am I would would would signal to me again I I I don’t think we can talk about this enough. You are exiting a 92 win season making the postseason in a full season for the first time since 2018. You have multiple core pieces entering potentially their last year in a Cubs uniform. You pair that with the the talent that is locked up for a long time, whether that’s Pete or Bush or Horton or Shaw, whoever, and you should make additions where when you open the season on March 26, it’s clear, crystal clear, that that should happen again, if not going for a first round buy. And for as much as I want to persuade myself about Zack Allen, and he could he could be a real solid signing, who by the way, I believe, but Amay would be would be such a a more buzzier signing, who by the way, I believe he was getting married when the reports came out from Night and Gale on Saturday. Yeah. Gallon was. Yeah. Yeah. So, well, that one seems to really be a drift. Uh, so yeah, he’s not Yeah, right. He’s not signing anytime soon. So, am I would be a step towards accomplishing that for you. And I think it for me, too. A first round buy. Yeah. And Yeah. Or for me, it’s not even about I talked about this last week, it’s not even about the results right now on the season. It’s about where you’re projected to be because that’s where that’s what an off season really is about in my eyes is right, you know, where where are the projections lie because anybody could have success with overperformance. We saw it. Well, right now they’re an 82 win team. Yeah. I I’d love to see what what am I would do to their projection. And when I say projections, I’m not talking about every site. I’m talking about with all of our eyes. I’m talking about with Vegas. I’m talking about everything together. Does this look like a a real solid team or does this look like a yeah, they’re in the mix with with everybody else where things go right they could be really good? That’s that’s what I view it as. You could view it either way. U and I think both of us in both of our uh uh perspectives that Amay would really raise the ceiling of this club. Yeah. I in in a in a in a large fashion at this at this at least at this point. Yeah. All right. Coming up next, we get you all the other names that the Cubs are connected to at a uh a quiet winter meetings right now. Stay tuned. This episode is brought to you by a FanDuel. NFL Sundays move fast. One big play and suddenly everything feels different. That’s what makes live betting with FanDuel so exciting. You’re not just watching the game, you’re reacting to it in real time. With FanDuel, you can place bets as the action unfolds. Every drive, every momentum swing, every highlight moment. Matt was making fun of the color of my shirt before we went on air. It’s Tennessee Orange because the Ali took care of the Volunteers on Saturday night, Nashville. And we’ll have another chance in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. Well, they’ll play Tennessee in a different sport. This one uh uh will be football. My guess is the Ali will open up as underdogs uh in that affair. So, if you want to be right in the middle of the action this season, visit fanduel.com and place your NFL live bets all season long. FanDuel, the games moves fast and so can you. Thank you for making Lockdown Cubs your first listen of the day. And thank you for making Lockdown the number one sports podcast network. You already live your team every day. Now take it up a level and go ad free. Join the every day club today and get locked on cubs with no interruptions. All for just $5 a month or $50 a year. Go to locked oncubs.supcast.com or check the link in this episode description. Also later uh more details on or reminder uh on on our locked on Cubs holiday party which is Thursday December 18th. Right now we connect all the players uh that have been linked to the Cubs and just review some of this. There is some new names in here. Sam, I’m wondering if maybe I’m even breaking some news to you here. Um, I guess my first question to you is, yeah, is there any updates on on your side of the glass on, you know, and don’t please don’t fake smile like that? Is there any updates right now on your side of the glass on Zack Allen or did you do any homework on him? Do do you have anything else to say about him? I would say that he’s third on my list. Uh behind So am I King Gallon? Yeah, I’d say he’s third by quite a quite a margin. Uh concerned about the trends in velocity, concerned about the home run ball, concerned about the numbers last year. definitely think he’s still a a really solid ad, but but I think there’s I I think Gallon is more of a would be more of a steady like you’d be hoping to to replicate a year Boyd had last year, which would be great. The other two guys, they just give you a little bit more oomph. You feel a little bit more confident in a playoff series, you know, with the with the stuff, with the velocity, with the with the swing and miss. I that that’s my update. Yeah. Well, and in that regard, it is nice to know that they’re still not still, but that they’re in the mix on on Michael King. That was a player that we we mentioned a while ago. I think, you know, we both like him. Sure. If you’re not going to go nine figures on a MI or any player since the Cubs really don’t even have a seat at the table for Bette or Schwarber or Alonzo or uh you know take a page out of your book Mantel Bonds Sosa uh uh and by the way it must be mentioned that Jeff Kent got inducted into the Hall of Fame and Barry Bonds didn’t. And if Barry Bonds never played another game after 1997 or 98 before he even touched a performance-enhancing drug, he had a significantly significantly better career. Carry on. Uh yes, thank you. And uh if they’re not going to hand out a ninef figure contract, then Michael King would be, you know, he would be next on on the that that that rung of the ladder and and maybe getting a fouryear for 88. uh something like that. It’s a 22 AAV for the math people out there. And uh well, the math people out there probably don’t need that clarification. You know, he hasn’t actually started that much, right? He was a reliever full-time for the Yankees and a good one for several years. Uh had had those couple injuries last year, but really the year before that was his first full campaign as a starter. And I’ve said campaign a few times this episode. We’re only 14 uh minutes in. We’re only about halfway through. Uh but but Gallad and King are connected to the Cubs. Okay. We we know that Alex Bregman we know has been connected to the Cubs. That was uh I don’t remember who was first on that, but locally we have Levine on it. We have Chararma. We have Mooney. uh uh you know and so and then we have this this this dude uh Francis uh Francis Romero Sam. Yeah, he’s a uh he covers baseball. I think he he might have been somebody that he was on the the Guerrero extension and then kind of didn’t he kind of pre a hint of a t Cubs Tucker extension and and and he he went one for two. Yeah. Yeah. So, and he’s gotten some scoops in the past. Uh, but he has connect both Suarez’s I believe that’s the pluralization of that. Uh, both Suarez on uh Au Heno and Robert to the Cubs. Au Henno on Sunday, Robert on Monday. If the Cubs do have interest in them, I do wonder if by the end of the week, Sam, we’re going to be tired of that word interest. But I don’t think you have to wonder. Au Heno, I just, you know, he’s not a good defender. His batting average with the Mariners started with a one, but he hits a lot of home runs, you know, do they need right-handed power at that type of clip where it’s like and he’s clearly a more of a slugger than Bregman where where you would see them going down the field for him. Um, yeah. No. Uh, Suarez v. Bregman’s a pretty interesting question. It’s you’re basically asking would you rather have unbelievable highs of, you know, a 15 16 homer month and then have a guy go silent for a month, month and a half or more, you know, steady production throughout the year, but but never reaching the ceiling that Suarez is able to provide. I think because of the way that they’re built, Suzuki is already kind of similar to Asuarez in that regard only, just the way they get their numbers. Same with Hap. I think I’d like to have a little bit more steadiness, a little bit more reliability. Plus, they’re so they’re so uh they value defense so much and so uh Bregman being the better defender of the two, I think that one has a little bit more uh weight than Aueno Suarez. Now, Ranger Suarez is a different different animal. Um, this is a guy that has tremendous uh postseason success. He’s been really good for a while now, basically since about 2021. Um, I just think he’s the type of guy, 29 years old, he’s banked in four or five excellent years. I would I would love to see the Cubs go in and invest a big bulk of money in him. There’s not a lot of questions. There’s not a lot of things surrounding it. I don’t think it’ll happen. Um I I think he probably will be a little bit too pricey. What’s he projected to get, Matteo? Uh Ranger. Yeah. Yeah, it’s somewhere in the 100s. But uh the player I was talking about was Robert Suarez. If you could play a game here, name that Suarez. Oh, Robert Francis Romero listed Robert with Maybe cut me off sooner next time. Um, no. I I had to see that through for this show. Yeah. So, so Robert Suarez, that would be that would be interesting because the Cubs have never really spent that big at that position. No, they have not. I did actually see that today. The Robert Suarez. I was wondering when you were going to get there. Well, I just don’t I I I’m confused. I I I just didn’t expect to see them operate in that type of reliever market. Yeah. But I do think that indicates that well well Jed Hoyer indicated it himself Monday night in Orlando at the winter meetings that they’re still pursuing high leverage relief options and and they’re doing so they they could pursue multi-year candidates. Um, but I think some of the projections on Robert Suarez, Sam had was I mean it’s it’s like four or five years the high AV. I don’t see that. I could see them doing like a two-year deal for someone, but I don’t know. Can I rewind back to Ranger? Yeah. Yeah. So, I didn’t realize you liked him so much. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. So, you’d rather if I were to tell you five for 165, am I or Ranger, you’d go Am I? Yeah, I think so because Amay is right-handed and he’s younger. He the the age is the answer. I don’t care about the handedness, right? Um I don’t know. I think Ranger Suarez is really good. Wow. That’s that’s Well, that’s good to know. I’ve always been a fan, man. Okay. All right. Let’s keep going through this list of names uh as we move along here in the show. And uh so what about Valdez? Would you be happy with Framber? I Yeah, a lot of people I think are out on Valdez because he’s had some, you know, the thing with the catcher and whatever. I just think Don’t you think he’s going to be the high highest priced out of all of them? Oh, yeah, for sure. Yeah. So, I just I don’t think he’s realistic. Okay. All right. Let’s get you the rest of these names right after this. Today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time. The World Cup is coming back to North America for the first time in over 30 years. And you can score your World Cup tickets with Game Time. That’s why the Game Time app is clutch. Finally giving fans a real advantage when it comes to snagging seats. 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I’ll be uh I’ll be contacting our buddy Tim Grunhard uh speaking of game time to see if there’s any intel if I can get some some tickets. And yes, unfortunately, Matt, in the middle of the summer because Lo Messi’s Argentina’s first World Cup game will take place at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. So, oh, you should go to that. I’m on I’m I’m I’ve been trying. I’ve been trying. People are, you know, I I I finally got a little bit. You know, it’s cost about, you know, $3,500 $4,000. That’s it’s it’s a little a little pricey. So, see if I can get some Couple other players. Uh the Cubs are are interested in uh two Japanese position players, Morakami and Akamoto. Sam Morakami the lefty slug, Okamoto the righty or contact guy, but he has some slug in his profile as well. Uh, you know, they they’ve been locally connected a little bit mostly by Bruce uh Bruce Levine. Uh, Michael Sarami. Bleacher Nation also said that he heard the Cubs connected Okamoto. I’m starting to cool off a little bit on this. Right. I was starting to convince myself what would a king and like Okamoto off season look like. And when when did you like when did you start convincing yourself of that? Like on No, just like on a walk or something like when I was out on these guys or or that you said when you starting to try to convince yourself. When when did that happen? Yeah. It happened over the weekend when I was when I was starting to get faced with the reality this winter meetings is going to be like 2023. Yeah. And because the myth the the myth that stuff doesn’t happen at the winter meetings or that that there’s inactivity at the winter meetings is a myth. It is two two years ago is fresh. So I think that’s is that where the problem lies because otherwise it had been until 2018 you know Harper and Machado signed in like February and March but otherwise the winter meetings has always been great. Yeah. So far slow start. No, I I know, but I I see things out there like, oh, winner, you know, crushing the winter meeting, which is not true. Well, if they had a cap, then they could then they could put a timer on it. So, is that how it works in the NBA? Yeah. Well, with the NBA, because there’s such a strict apron policy now, you got to you got to move. You have to move quickly or you’re gonna you’re going to miss miss out. You know what I mean? Yeah. One time we were out to dinner, he tried to explain the apron to me. It went over my head. So, well, I I’m still trying to explain the aprons to myself. Oh, okay. Well, there you go. It’s so complicated. But in the NBA, you have a floor, too. So, like you have to you have to spend to, you know, it has to go faster. It just makes more. Does it make the sport for the common fan hard to follow? The NBA? Yeah. With like all those rules? Oh. Oh, the apron stuff. 100%. 100%. But it’s still a better design like in July when when you just know everyone’s going to be on the move quickly than sitting here and waiting going maybe Kyle Tucker signs tomorrow or maybe he signs March 1st. Yeah. Which is quite a disparity. Yeah. That that’s that’s bad for the sport. All right. And then also multiple report uh reports including just as we’re on the air, Sam, the Cubs are interested in bringing back Brad Keller. The Athletic has just dropped that news. And uh how about how about Jed’s quote on Matt Shaw today? Yeah. So Jed Hoyer said, “Yeah, one more starting pitcher open to multi-year deals deals for bullpen and he expressed confidence in Matt Shaw at third. Is that a a diversion or is he is he being legit? Well, first of all, I didn’t really understand what he said because yeah, he called out the media, right? Well, no, he said I’ve been surprised by the number of media reports that link us to different guys. There is zero lack of confidence in Matt. I would say the opposite. Is it the opposite? A lot of lack of confidence. Well, if there’s no lack of conf Well, no. I think you say we we’re confident. Oh, we’re confident. Got it. Okay. Um I think that’s how that would work. Yeah. No, I’m just messing around. Um I um I think he has to say that, but I you know, we I believe so. I did the Shaw thing early in the offense. It’s executive speak. He had a great second half. The path to getting to that sec a good second half. The path to getting to there though, I didn’t like it because that’s not who he is as a hitter. So, can he put up the numbers that he did in the second half by also getting back to what got him to the dance? That’s going to be the big question with him. And I think we’re going to know pretty early because with him it’s just, you know, is he hitting the baseball hard? Yeah. So, you mean like after the first 10 or 20 games even? I well I just think after the first, you know, 25 30 games, I think we’re going to know, hey, Shaw is starting to put it together or he’s still got a significant amount of growth to be made. Got it. Okay. All right. Yeah. Well, hopefully keep an eye out for that if he stays on the team. All right. Last thing here, Sam. Speaking of multi-year deals for the bullpen, did you know that Phil Modd, who the Cubs already got a few weeks ago, was the first multi-year signing of reliever by the Cubs since this player multi-year first multi-year uh deal since uh Reliever? Oh boy. Uh they traded for Wade Davis, Brendan Morrow. No, it was actually a little bit more recent that by one one year you’re in 2018. You got to go to 2019 before the Kimbell. Yeah. Kimbell, which was on June 5th, 2019. Is that right? Yeah. And his first save, his first save came against his former team, the Atlanta Braves, on a ground ball to first by I believe Freddy Freeman. And Rizzo had like a race to the bag because Kimro didn’t cover. Fact check me on that. Well, you I’m not not going to do that right now, but you have an amazing uh memory. Thank you for making lockdown cover. Didn’t work out well here that year. 19 for Kimbrrell. Didn’t he give up like five homers the last weekend of the year or something? No, that wasn’t the last weekend. It was the last contending weekend. They were playing the Cardinals. Cardinals came in for I think it was a four or five game set. That was when Rizzo came back from that ankle injury. And u you know, Kimell pretty much blew every game. I that’s Yeah, that’s that was too bad. Thank you for making Lockdown Cubs your first. For those of you on video, we send you to the 247 National Locked On podcast YouTube channel and on audio, make sure your second listening is locked on MLB. He’s Sam Ober. I’m Matt Cozy. This is Locked On. I really enjoy that. Um,

Matt and Sam discuss Tatsuya Imai as the possible impact rotation addition for the Cubs. Plus: Sorting out all of the players who have been connected to the Cubs.

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