Cubs' wild Zac Gallen rumor ends with hilarious twist revealed at Winter Meetings

A report from Bob Nightengale over the weekend indicated that the Chicago Cubs were finalizing a multi-year deal with free-agent starting pitcher Zac Gallen, but it was quickly debunked. While Jed Hoyer didn't specifically refer to the botched Gallen rumor while speaking with reporters, Marque Sports Network's Bruce Levine revealed intel that brings the fiasco to a hilarious end.

Levine revealed that Gallen's wedding was on Saturday, and instead of agreeing to a deal with the Cubs, he was saying his vows. We've heard some strange scenarios with which deals were made, but had it been real, it would be funny to think about the idea of Gallen telling his soon-to-be wife to hold off on the ceremony, because he has to give Scott Boras the approval to finalize a deal with the Cubs.

Zac Gallen to the Cubs hasn't happened yet, but it hasn't been ruled out either.

The first day of the Winter Meetings didn't bring any clarity on where things stand between Gallen and the Cubs. If anything, the Cubs may be focusing on their interest in Tatsuya Imai before turning to Gallen as a fallback option. Imai, given his success in Japan and the fact that he is only 27 years old, could be in a position to get the next largest starting pitcher contract in free agency this offseason. It won't be quite as high as the $200 million deal Dylan Cease signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, but certainly be over $100 million.

It is worth noting that both Imai and Gallen are represented by Boras. While Hoyer didn't comment on any current free-agent interests while speaking to reporters on Monday, Levine's sources confirmed the team remains interested in Imai, Gallen, and Alex Bregman.

There almost certainly isn't a scenario where the Cubs land all three players. And if the offseason plays out where Chicago is the top bidder for Imai, it's hard to see having enough money left over to sign Bregman. Though signing Gallen would likely make that idea possible.

These are all good things to hear, but until there is actually a deal signed, Cubs fans are protecting their emotions, trying to avoid falling for the banana in the tailpipe once again.