The Chicago Cubs headed into the offseason expected to spend some money to upgrade their pitching staff, and this started in the bullpen with the acquisition of Phil Maton.
In terms of the starting rotation, keeping Shota Imanaga on the qualifying offer obviously allows for a little bit more flexibility and less desperation to add someone, as do reinforcements arriving from injury like Justin Steele.
Chicago still wants to land a difference making starting pitcher though, and one name they have been consistently linked to might just wind up being the best of the batch of available guys. Since the offseason has begun, constant reports have been out there about the Cubs having interest in Japanese sensation Tatsuya Imai.
During a Wednesday morning appearance on 670 The Score, prominent and very plugged in baseball insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post revealed the name he keeps hearing for Chicago is, in fact, Imai.
Cubs Interest in Imai Confirmed by Heyman