Tatsuya Imai update hints at a nightmare ending to Cubs’ offseason

Chicago Cubs fans may not want to hear this, but the impression is that when last Thursday started, the Cubs thought they were closing in on a deal with Tatsuya Imai. Bleacher Nation's Michael Cerami had sources telling him that a deal may have been close between the two sides, and North Side Baseball's Matthew Trueblood also had intel that suggested the North Siders thought they were going to land the Japanese starting pitcher.

Trueblood's reporting on the deal that fell through suggested that while the Cubs were under the impression that their final offer to Imai was going to be the one he signed, Scott Boras took the offer to the Houston Astros at the last minute. It wasn't the money that was the issue, as the selling point was Houston including an opt-out after the first year.

Cubs backed into a corner as their offseason draws to a close with Scott Boras at the center of it.

The Cubs' insider also added that while the Cubs don't prefer to do business with Boras, and the resolution with Imai likely left a sour taste, the agent will be at the center of how the team's offseason concludes. Trueblood adds that Alex Bregman is the Cubs' top offseason target, and the unwillingness to offer a higher AAV to a free-agent starting pitcher is derived from that reality.

Boras, of course, represents Bregman, and if the Cubs pivot to Zac Gallen to address their need in the rotation, they will also be forced to work with the agent.

Where that becomes problematic is that Jed Hoyer often loses his staring contest with his Boras. To his credit, Hoyer did get the last laugh on Boras when the Cubs were able to bring back Cody Bellinger in 2024--but this offseason has proven that the agent holds the keys to the team's inactivity.

The only way that changes is if Hoyer breaks away from the stubbornness that has been the theme of all of his decisions as the team's top baseball voice. The Cubs' front office never wants to be perceived as losing value on a deal they make, which is why they have all but indicated that the trade for Kyle Tucker last offseason was an exception, rather than an expectation.

If Hoyer and Co. are unwilling to make another exception this time around, it could lead to the offseason turning into a failure.