It looks like the Cubs just missed on a rumored relief target in free agency

As we continue to await the first major move of the offseason for the Chicago Cubs, every reported signing feels like a knife in the ribs. The amount of pent-up anxiety with the fanbase right now is palpable - and the news that Japanese left-handed Yuki Matsui looks to be off the board after reportedly agreeing to a deal with the Padres.

Terms of the deal aren't known yet and the deal itself is still pending a physical, but if all goes as planned, it looks like San Diego will bring in Matsui as they move on from free agent closer Josh Hader, who is poised to break Edwin Diaz's record for the largest contract ever given to a reliever this winter.

Potential Cubs free agent target Yuki Matsui reportedly off the board

Having just turned 28, Matsui is younger than almost all of the impact relievers available on the market - but has questions surrounding his size and how that will translate to MLB. But the upside is there, too. We're talking about a guy who strikes out a third of the batters he faced and has a 2.40 ERA career ERA in a 10-year NPB career.

The relief market hasn't moved a ton yet - with Hader still available, along with guys like Aroldis Chapman, Robert Stephenson and Jordan Wicks. But given the Cubs' need in the bullpen, specifically from the left side, watching them miss out on Matsui doesn't feel great.

We don't know the extent of Chicago's pursuit - or, again, the terms of the deal Matsui landed with the Padres - but with Cubs Convention less than a month away and the team yet to make any major move, folks are on pins and needles as they await Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins to do something.