3 Winter Meetings rumors that should silence the Cubs fan doubt surrounding Jed Hoyer

The Winter Meetings have come and gone, and the Chicago Cubs' roster looks the same as it did on Monday. While the Cubs watched from the sidelines as Kyle Schwarber, Edwin Diaz, and Pete Alonso all were taken off the free agent market, it seemed that Jed Hoyer and Co. spent the week putting multiple irons in the fire.

Even though the Winter Meetings are over, we likely will see an uptick in deals made over the next week. Most of the time, the framework of these deals was established during the Winter Meetings. It was the case when the Cubs signed Dansby Swanson during the weekend after the Winter Meetings in 2022, and last offseason when a similar timeline played out for their trade for Kyle Tucker.

3 Winter Meetings rumors that should excite Cubs fans

There is always a sense of premature panic from Cubs fans when they see moves happening and their beloved team isn't involved. The rebuttal is that this offseason, outside of Dylan Cease, most of the targets identified for the Cubs at the start of the offseason are still available.

• The Cubs are enamored with Alex Bregman, could Shift Matt Shaw into a utility role.

Throughout the Winter Meetings, there were several reports that confirmed the Cubs have a pretty high level of interest in Alex Bregman. They still may need the Boston Red Sox to add an impact bat other than the All-Star third baseman, but they seem to be monitoring the situation closely.

Signing Bregman would certainly ease the impact felt from the loss of Kyle Tucker, and it will move Matt Shaw into a super-utility role. It would be a best-case scenario for the Cubs this offseason, especially if they can acquire a cost-controlled starting pitcher via the trade market.

• Tatsuya Imai is the preferred starting pitching target for the Cubs this offseason.

Due to the fact that the Cubs would have to trade for MacKenzie Gore or Edward Cabrera, and it would be costly, Tatsuya Imai could be the best option for Chicago this winter. Imai isn't meeting with teams until next week, and his posting window doesn't close until January 2. All this can be used as a possible reason why the Cubs were so quiet during the Winter Meetings.

27 years old with a fastball that can reach triple digits while showing signs of being the swing-and-miss arm the Cubs lack in their rotation, Imai is in line to receive a contract north of $120 million. It would be the most money the Cubs have spent on a starting pitcher since Yu Darvish, but it would signal a much-needed shift in spending strategy.

• Cubs want to trade for a cost-controlled starting pitcher, use free-agent money on an impact bat.

One of the rumors that emerged as the Winter Meetings were concluding is that the Cubs may prefer to trade for a cost-controlled starting pitcher and then use the money saved on an impact bat in free agency. Edward Cabrera of the Miami Marlins and MacKenzie Gore of the Washington Nationals were the pitchers the Cubs were connected to throughout the week.

There are several reasons why this scenario may not play out--mainly because of the respective asking prices--but this could be the ultimate win for Hoyer. Not only would he have a new ace-caliber starting pitcher, but he would also have someone like Bregman in the starting lineup.

The Winter Meetings didn't exactly ignite the hot stove for the Cubs, but if we're lucky, moves are on the way.