Cubs miss out on Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki; what will their next move be?

In what was widely viewed as a long-shot against the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, the Chicago Cubs' quest to lure 23-year-old Roki Sasaki to the North Side is reportedly at an end, with the right-hander set choose between the Dodgers, Padres and Toronto Blue Jays once the 2025 international signing period opens on Jan. 15.

Sasaki is reported to have met with eight teams during his free agent foray, including the Cubs, Blue Jays, Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, Rangers and Padres. The appeal of the Japanese hurler is apparent: only eligible for a minor-league deal, he's not only young and heading into the prime years of his career - but he's also extremely cost-effective.

For obvious reasons, that appealed to Jed Hoyer and the Cubs - a large-market team that is always looking for a bargain on the trade and free agent market. It remains to be seen where Chicago pivots - or if they pivot at all after adding Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea to the rotation mix this offseason.

Obviously, neither of those signings have anywhere near the potential to move the needle as a Sasaki deal would have - but with free-agent right-hander Jack Flaherty still available and reportedly open to a high-AAV, short-term deal with opt-outs and a number of arms potentially available via trade, there are still options out there.

Cubs have plenty of money yet to spend - but will they?

At the heart of all of this is the Cubs' payroll, which, as things currently stand, is sharply down over the team's 2024 number. The belief when Hoyer traded Cody Bellinger to New York was that the team would re-allocate those dollars, but apart from some relatively minor pick-ups, the team has been quiet since the move last month.

As things currently stand, the rotation will feature Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, Boyd and Rea - with Jordan Wicks and Javier Assad projecting as depth behind them. Ben Brown could factor into that mix, as well, but given he's coming off an injury-shortened 2024, it would be a surprise to nobody if he at least opened the year in the bullpen.

It's a disappointing end to the Sasaki sweepstakes, to say the least. But I don't think anyone had all their chips pushed in on the Cubs sneaking out a huge, unexpected splash here. It comes down to where Hoyer goes from here and we have no clear indications what may come next.