Yankees sources are basically screaming Cubs will land Tatsuya Imai in the end

There is certain to be an uptick in rumors connecting the Chicago Cubs to Tatsuya Imai in the next couple of weeks, considering the free-agent starting pitcher is starting to meet with teams, and his posting window closes on January 2.

Imai could explain why the Cubs have yet to make a major move this offseason. Adding Phil Maton and Hoby Milner to the bullpen while also bringing back Caleb Thielbar were all solid moves for the Cubs, but they have yet to check their big-ticket item off their shopping list. With Imai's rumored price being around $150 million, that could be one of the reasons why they are cautious about how they are spending their money elsewhere.

Tatsuya Imai is coming into focus as the Chicago Cubs remain among the frontrunners in his sweepstakes

The Athletic's (subscription required) Jim Bowden ran through the best free-agent fits remaining for each team, and no surprise, he had the Cubs as the top team for Imai. Multiple insiders have indicated that the Cubs are making a strong push for Imai, and that includes Francys Romero. Romero suggested that the bidding could come down to the Cubs and New York Yankees.

If that's the case, the Cubs may be in the driver's seat. Word out of New York is that while the Yankees have a need in their rotation, their preference is to trade for a starting pitcher as opposed to signing a free agent. The Yankees have been linked heavily to Milwaukee Brewers' starting pitcher Freddy Peralta in recent weeks.

Considering the Cubs' front office isn't the one to engage in a bidding war, let alone be the aggressive party, the idea of the Yankees not being motivated to sign Imai would certainly help their cause. Of course, it remains possible that a dark horse team like the San Francisco Giants or Philadelphia Phillies makes a strong push for Imai.

In many ways, Imai feels like the other shoe that has to drop in order for the Cubs' offseason to get going. It's clear that the Cubs want to make a push for him, and along those lines, that could be the reason why they haven't been as aggressive in their pursuit of free-agent starting pitcher Michael King.

The downside is that if the Cubs lose out on Imai, they could be dangerously close to not addressing their top need this offseason.