Cubs just entered the weirdest free agent chase of the offseason

There's already been no shortage of penny-pinching jokes for the Chicago Cubs this offseason, considering their contract decision with Shota Imanaga and trade of Andrew Kittredge gives the impression that the team remains obsessed with saving money whenever they find an opportunity to. With over $100MM to spend this offseason, the Cubs have the chance to silence the nonsense (or truth), but their latest free agency chase has comedic material all over it.

A report out of Japan indicated the Cubs have signed outfielder Kotaro Tsunematsu to a minor-league deal, but the circumstances surrounding the potential deal are truly odd. Playing for Keio University, Tsunematsu was eligible for the NPB Draft last month but wasn't selected by a team. Contemplating quitting baseball for a job with Goldman Sachs, it seems that the Cubs are trying to convince him to continue his playing career.

While reports were that Tsunematsu has already signed with the Cubs, the 22-year-old took to social media on Thursday to confirm he has yet to make a decision.

Cubs might be turning to Japan for their first offseason signing, but it's far from a serious move.

Starting with their signing of Yu Darvish, and consequent deals with Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga, the Cubs have been focused over the last few years on improving the streamline of talent from Japan to their organization. Signing Tsunematsu would be the latest proof of that, but it would be hard to project what his playing career may look like, considering he was already on the verge of quitting baseball. In other words, the Jed Hoyer jokes will be going strong this weekend.

Beyond Tsunematsu, there are a pair of Japanese free agents who could be on the Cubs' radar this offseason. 27-year-old starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai and 29-year-old third baseman Kazuma Okamoto figure to be two players aligned with the Cubs' recent strategy.

Imai doesn't have the same high-ceiling profile as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but would be an ideal replacement for Imanaga in the rotation. Okamaoto, meanwhile, could be a fallback option for the Cubs at third base if that is how they plan on improving their offense this winter.