Ranking the 5 best international free agents fits for the Cubs this winter

It's no secret that the Chicago Cubs are going to be perusing the international free agent market once more in their quest to improve this offseason. With their additions of Seiya Suzuki in 2022 and Shota Imanaga in 2024, the North Siders have established themselves as a destination for players looking to transition to MLB. Jed Hoyer was also vocal at the GM meetings about the possibility of flexing their advantage overseas to land another difference-maker. Given the massive incoming crop of talent, there may be no better year to tap that pipeline again.

The Cubs are primarily searching for pitching on the market this year to fill out a rotation that ran out of depth at the end of the year and a bullpen that was almost entirely lost to free agency. They've expressed more interest in handing out lucrative deals in those areas, too, with rumors connecting them to guys like Dylan Cease and Ryan Helsley even after Shota Imanaga's return on the qualifying offer. However, it wouldn't hurt to add another bat, either, following Kyle Tucker's departure.

With their needs in mind, here's my ranking of the top five options available that best fit what the team needs to address before they report for Spring Training in February.

1. Tatsuya Imai

No surprises here. Tatsuya Imai is seen as the best starting pitcher coming over from Japan this year and one who will be in high demand. While not as highly regarded as Yoshinobu Yamamoto was a few years back, there are plenty of reasons to like him, from his 1.92 ERA and 2.01 FIP in 163.2 innings last year to his 95+ MPH fastball that rates among the best in Japan, and career bests in strikeouts (9.79), walks (2.47), and home runs (0.33) per nine innings. Plus, he's only 27 and comes with a six-pitch arsenal that he's used to become among NPB's best arms over the past four seasons.

Imai's breakout performance in 2025 has projections pegging him to make around $150 million without accounting for the posting fee. That would mark the Cubs' largest commitment to a pitcher since Yu Darvish in 2018, but his youth and their general desire for a top-of-the-rotation arm make that move more likely than usual. Bruce Levine emphasized that Hoyer and company wouldn't be afraid to go hard to land him, too. Imai did express interest in picking a team without other Japanese players, but it's unclear how important that will be for him once contracts are discussed.

Whatever the case, he offers the exact model of pitcher the Cubs should be looking for this offseason. There likely won't be anyone who can offer that mix of youth, upside, and results available this year in free agency or trade.

2. Kazuma Okamoto

Although pitching is the focus, Okamoto should be considered by the Cubs for how he fits the lineup. I've spoken at length already about the third baseman and his ability to provide a potential impact upgrade at a relatively low price. For his career, he has a slash line of .277/.361/.521 with 30 or more home runs in six seasons, though he found a new gear last year when he hit .327/.416/.598, albeit in a limited 69-game campaign due to injury. Moreover, his .298 batting average against fastballs of 93+ mph gives hope he can translate well to MLB.

The Cubs have Matt Shaw at third base currently, but he can potentially act as a utility player this year to accommodate Okamoto's bat. Craig Counsell can also get a bit more creative to put Okamoto at DH or even first base to cover for Michael Busch against lefties. Then, a decision can be made about his future after 2026, when the team will have an eye-watering list of free agents, including Nico Hoerner. Most importantly for the Cubs, though, he only projects to command a contract in the realm of four years, $64 million, a bargain compared to someone like Alex Bregman.

3. Foster Griffin

At the GM meetings, Hoyer made a point to note the U.S. players who would be hopping back over to MLB to try their fortunes again. Foster Griffin may be among the most intriguing of that group, and he happens to fit the exact model of pitcher the Cubs love. A former first-round pick, Griffin leaped over to Japan after failing to catch on in 2022 and immediately became a standout on the Yomiuri Giants. Across three years, he posted a 2.57 ERA in 315 2/3 innings with a 1.03 WHIP and a stellar 4.54 K/BB ratio.

Griffin doesn't have the most obvious upside as a southpaw with a fastball around 90-91 mph. However, the Cubs have shown time and time again they can make it work with soft-tossing lefties. Complete with an evolved arsenal, including a wipeout slider that has helped improve his strikeout rate, he represents a potential upgrade on the cheap. He may be an option as another swingman for extra rotation and bullpen depth, even if he's not an obvious top-flight starter.

4. Cody Ponce

Over in South Korea, there's also Cody Ponce, who similarly broke out and dominated his respective international league. Unlike Griffin, however, he was quite literally the best pitcher in the KBO, winning the league's equivalent of a Cy Young Award and becoming the first foreign pitcher to win the KBO MVP after posting a 1.89 ERA over 180 2/3 innings with the Hanwha Eagles. Not only that, but he broke the record for most strikeouts in a season over there with 252 and most in a game with 18.

Although the talent level is decidedly lower in the KBO, Ponce has transformed into a completely different pitcher since he was released by the Pirates in 2021 and was a middling starter in Japan. His uptick in velocity has teams interested, going from around 93.2 mph in the majors to 94-98 mph on his fastball. It's easy to imagine the Cubs being among those teams if they think the 31-year-old righty presents an opportunity to land a meaningful rotation upgrade on a bargain. It wouldn't be the first time a successful MLB starter reinvented his game in South Korea — just look to Merrill Kelly for reference.

Ponce's deal will likely be comparable to Erick Fedde's two-year, $18 million guarantee in 2024. That could potentially be the deal of the offseason if it hits, but I'd rather the Cubs be shooting higher.

5. Munetaka Murakami

File this under highly unlikely, but it's worth talking about the other prominent corner infielder coming over, Munetaka Murakami. The Cubs have mostly been ruled out for the young lefty slugger because he could command as much as eight years and around $180 million. That contract simply doesn't square with this team's philosophy or where their limited budget is focused. It's an awful lot to guarantee a player who has defensive questions that could push him to first base or DH, and also has strikeout and contact percentages that would be among the worst in baseball.

And yet, there's a reason he's going to be such an intriguing player. The one thing everyone knows Murakami does well is hit for otherworldly power, ever since he captured international attention with his 56-homer season in 2022. In 2025, he slashed .273/.379/.663 in NPB in just 69 games after being limited by injury. He's a work in progress with real reasons to be worried about how he'll handle the higher-velocity competition of the majors, but the ceiling is sky high. There are better ways for the Cubs to use their money, though, even if he'd be fun to have as part of a young core going forward.