Cubs blew their shot at Tatsuya Imai and now face a nightmare offseason

It seemed like the cost-conscious moves the Chicago Cubs made throughout the first months of the offseason were to pave the way for the team signing free-agent starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai. The Cubs needed a starting pitcher who could slot near the top of the rotation, and at 27 years old with some impressive swing-and-miss numbers, Imai was one of the best options available. All that may have been true, but Imai won't be arriving in Chicago this offseason.

Jon Heyman was first to report that Imai is signing with the Houston Astros.

After missing on Imai, the Cubs will need to scramble to fill the need in their rotation. Dylan Cease and Michael King are already off the board, and the Cubs haven't been connected to Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez.

After missing on Tatsuya Imai, Cubs could move quickly to snag Zac Gallen.

A pivot in the direction of Zac Gallen could be in play for the Cubs. At one point, Gallen was rumored to be finalizing a deal with the Cubs the weekend before the Winter Meetings. Those reports were quickly refuted, and since then, there's been little mention of Gallen's market. Gallen is represented by Scott Boras, who also reps Imai. It's possible that Boras wanted Imai to make his decision first, to then float Gallen as a fallback option

With recent reports that the Cubs may not view Imai's profile as that of a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, it's possible that this influenced their decision not to be the top bidder. While Gallen is coming off a down year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he has a track record of being a top-of-the-rotation pitcher in past years.

It's also possible the Cubs' big move in free agency isn't for a starting pitcher. Now knowing that they won't be the team paying Imai, the Cubs could ramp up their efforts to sign third baseman Alex Bregman. Signing Bregman would likely trigger the next move for the Cubs, which would be to trade for a cost-controlled starting pitcher.

One thing is clear: missing on Imai shouldn't be the excuse the Cubs use for moving the goalposts. The Cubs entered the offseason not afraid to tell anyone who would listen that they needed a power pitcher in their rotation. If they don't add one before spring training, this offseason will be a failure.

With clarity on Imai, the Cubs likely will move quickly to address their remaining needs this offseason. It's not the ideal strategy, especially for a big-market team, but it's the one that the front office remains comfortable with, even if they aren't always successful.