Chicago Cubs Rumors: Shohei Ohtani could reach a deal by the Winter Meetings

The excitement is palpable among Chicago Cubs fans as reports continue to link the team to two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani. There's a real chance they'll be the team to sign the Japanese superstar, especially if the Los Angeles Dodgers whiff. As long as Jed Hoyer and company believe they have a chance, everything takes a backseat until the ink is dry on a contract between Ohtani and his chosen team.

Still, there's a ton of offseason to go and big-ticket players don't always sign quickly as they try to get the best deal and their preferred landing spot. Moreover, this is a pivotal offseason for the Cubs. They've just signed Manager of the Year finalist Craig Counsell to steer them toward the playoffs and they need to be better on paper as a team than they were by the start of 2023. If they miss on Ohtani, they have to be able to pivot to other stars to get them into strong contention.

Fortunately, for fans obsessively tracking the sweepstakes and the Cubs, a new piece reveals that the wait for a decision might not be all that long after all. According to Jeff Passan, who released a massive offseason write-up at ESPN (subscription required), the consensus around the league is that Ohtani could have everything wrapped up during or possibly even before the Winter Meetings which take place from December 4 through 7.

If that's the case, expect things to move quickly within the next three weeks and for the Cubs to remain silent throughout that time. As Passan adds, Ohtani's team desires privacy as they determine the star's destination. A fast resolution is all the better for the Cubs as they could have an answer on whether they can realistically reel in the best player in baseball before the meat of the offseason gets underway.

The Cubs can craft an impactful offseason even if they miss on Ohtani

No team is incapable of working on multiple fronts at once. In the case of Ohtani, who would require a historic amount of resources to lock down and would change the face of the team overnight, it would certainly be preferable to know how aggressive the Cubs can/need to be on other free agents or trades as soon as possible though. At the end of the day, this needs to be a big offseason for the team whether they spend $500+ million on the game's most popular player or pick up multiple stars elsewhere.

Ohtani will certainly change how they act, whether they sign him or not. If they miss, Juan Soto and Cody Bellinger need to be their backup plans. Passan revealed in the same piece that the Cubs are among the teams that have what the Padres would want in a deal for their lefty slugger. Prevailing thoughts are that Hoyer and company will pull off some sort of trade this offseason, whether that involves Soto, Pete Alonso, Tyler Glasnow, or another. The team's also in on the bidding for Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto to improve the rotation after Marcus Stroman's departure.

Whatever happens, be prepared for things to kick off soon. If the Cubs get through the next few weeks with Ohtani in tow though, all bets are off for what the rest of this offseason holds.

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