MLB Expert throws life raft to fading Chicago Cubs fans' hope of impact FA signing

If the Chicago Cubs are going to make an impact signing this offseason, chances are it will be for Japanese starting pitcher Roki Sasaki.

Sasaki is expected to be officially posted after the MLB Winter Meetings but is expected to have a deal with a Major League team in place around January 15. Given the circumstances in which Sasaki will be posted, under 25 years old, he will be subject to international free agent rules.

In what has become the expectation, the Los Angeles Dodgers have widely been viewed as the favorites to sign Sasaki. However, after signing Blake Snell, conventional thinking would suggest that the Dodgers may not be as inclined to sign Sasaki as they may have been at the start of the offseason. Again, however, given that Sasaki will effectively be signing a minor-league deal, the Dodgers can't be ruled out.

If there is a world that exists where the Dodgers do not sign Sasaki, the Cubs could be the dark horse team to keep an eye on. Or, at least, that is what former Cubs' pitcher and current MLB Network analyst Dan Plesac believes.

Plesac has Sasaki landing on the Northside of Chicago. In terms of an impact free-agent signing, Sasaki is likely the only option within the Cubs' reach.

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It seems that bolstering their starting rotation is the primary offseason goal of the Cubs. In a winter where the Cubs are staying away from paying Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, among others, adding a starting pitcher to go next to Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga is easier said than done. The trade market will likely be explored by the Cubs at the Winter Meetings but if they are unable to find the right deal, signing Sasaki may become more of a priority.

Signing Sasaki is a move that would instantly get the Cubs closer to being a 90-win team. While questions would remains about their ability to hit the ball over the fence, a rotation with Steele, Imanaga, and Sasaki is potentially strong enough to carry the Cubs into the postseason conversation in 2025.