The Dodgers pose a major threat to the Cubs' chances of landing Tyler Glasnow

The market for Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow has been pretty deep all winter long - and that's no surprise. Small-market Tampa Bay would be challenged (to put it mildly) by his $25 million salary and starting pitching is at a premium this offseason.

Glasnow has been connected to multiple teams in recent weeks, but the newest report out of Tampa Bay has the Cubs in competition with nearly half the league, headlined by the Atlanta Braves, several AL East clubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"A significant question for the Rays could be whether to take the best deal now or wait until several of the big-name pursuits are settled and gamble that teams who missed out might get more desperate. For what it’s worth, Neander typically isn’t patient."

Marc Topkin, TB Times

That last bit - that Rays president of baseball ops Eric Neander isn't typically the slow play kind of guy - will be music to the ears of impatient Cubs fans who are acting like the Shohei Ohtani signing came on Feb. 9 rather than Dec. 9. There's a lot of offseason to go, but Chicago's fanbase is itching for something impactful from the front office.

Watching both Ohtani and Juan Soto wind up on new teams in a matter of days has breathed a sense of urgency into the offseason - and now that those two big dominoes have fallen, I think it's safe to say we'll see more movement in the weeks to come.

Cubs face stiff competition for Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow

Glasnow is one of the biggest starting pitchers available on the trade market, joining the likes of Shane Bieber, who the Cubs have also checked in on. But it'll take an impressive package to land either of them given the number of teams with interest - which means dealing from Chicago's revamped farm system.

Glasnow pitched a career-high 120 innings last year and injuries have derailed his efforts on multiple occasions to this point. But, as has been the case for some time, the intrigue lies in his stuff - which culminated in 12.2 K/9 and a whiff rate that ranks in the top 5 percent of the league.

Seeing the Dodgers in on Glasnow definitely doesn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside because after handing out $700 million to one player, you're as all-in as can be - and you know Andrew Friedman is going to keep adding to build a legitimate World Series-caliber club. Now, we wait to see if Jed Hoyer can out-class his Dodgers counterpart to bring a front-of-the-rotation arm to Chicago.