Cubs know exactly when they’ll need to act on top free agent target

Whether the GM Meetings or Winter Meetings, Scott Boras is gifted a platform (literally) for his outdated act, offering pointless puns while talking about the clients he is representing. Boras' latest charade took place on Wednesday, and the Cubs now know when potential free-agent target Tatsuya Imai will be posted.

On Monday, the Seibu Tigers approved Imai's request to be posted, and Boras confirmed that it will happen on November 19. That will open the 45-day window for Boras to negotiate Imai's contract with Major League teams. As it stands, Imai is viewed as one of the top pitchers available in this offseason's free-agent class, and the fact that he is only 27 years old makes him an ideal candidate for the Cubs.

Tatsuya Imai will be posted on November 19, giving the Cubs an exact timeline for one of their top offseason targets.

Pitching is the priority for the Cubs this offseason, and by November 19, they could have some resolution on Shota Imanaga. Imanaga is expected to decline the Cubs' qualifying offer by the deadline on November 18, but there remains a possibility that the two sides can work out a new deal.

To be clear, regardless of what's next for the Cubs and Imanaga, the impression is that the Cubs are going to be looking for rotation upgrades regardless. Even if Imanaga does return for the 2026 season, the Cubs won't overlook the fact that he couldn't be used in Game 5 of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers. Imanaga being back with the Cubs next season should be viewed as a bonus, not the answer for what their starting rotation currently lacks.

Jed Hoyer and Co. love looking for deals where they are paying for future value and not what a player has done in the past. For that reason, it would seem that Imai should be their priority this offseason. Imai projects to be a pitcher who could be instantly inserted at the top of the rotation after signing a contract with the Cubs and remain there for the duration of his deal. That may not be the case for someone like Framber Valdez, who will turn 32 before the start of the season.