After missing the playoffs last season by only one game, the Chicago Cubs are thinking of going all in this offseason. Their biggest area of need currently is a strong starting pitcher and that has brought them to the Yoshinobu Yamamoto race. The 25-year-old Samurai Japan ace is the apple of everyone’s eye currently. With almost half of the league after him, this will be a tough contest for the Cubs. Nevertheless, MLB insiders are expressing confidence in their prospects.

Though the Cubs have consistently maintained a tight payroll, things could be changing soon. With the appointment of Craig Counsell as manager in early November this year, they have already shown their ambitions. Now, with these big targets like Yamamoto, it looks like they want to go for glory in 2024. Seems like this has made Yamamoto the “top candidate” for the team.

Insider thinks the Cubs have a big chance of signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Yamamoto will be on center stage even after his absence in the winter meetings. The 25-year-old’s demand is one of the highest in the market currently alongside Shohei Ohtani. Nearly half of the league want him to grace their team next season and beyond. While he’s strongly linked to the New York teams, MLB reporter Jon Morosi recently added Cubs to the list too.

Morosi said, “Yamamoto, I think is the top candidate for the Cubs. I mean, we know they wanna find a way to make a big-time splash in their rotation. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, I think Taylor has more teams involved in his market than Ohtani does.” 

Morosi continued, “Basically every team in baseball says, 25 years of age, three-time defending Sawamura award winner in Japan? Yes, please. So everybody wants him and I think he will eventually sign for around $200 million, maybe even above that. He’s that good Taylor, I think aside from Ohtani, he will probably have the largest contract period.” 

The MLB insider made a bold claim that Yamamoto’s contract would go above $200 million. Jim Bowden of The Athletic made a similar claim earlier regarding Yamamoto getting up to $300 million deal. The Cubs’ tightly maintained payroll has provided them with enough cash to compete for him.

The North Siders’ quest for a pitcher, however, doesn’t end with Yamamoto. They went after another pitcher a few days ago. So, they might have already decided on a backup if this deal falls through.

The Cubs recently inquired about Tyler Glasnow

Jon Morosi reported a few days ago that the North Siders had approached the Tampa Bay Rays about Tyler Glasnow’s trade situation. The ace has had multiple great seasons and, as a result, is one of the most popular players currently in the trade market. The North Siders are popular for the short-term deals that they make. They’d only get him for one year, but it’ll suit them. 

Read more: Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Juan Soto – Whom Do the Yankees Need More Desperately?

Apart from him, however, the rest of the Cubs’ links are position players, namely Matt Chapman. While they’d wish to sign Yamamoto to a big contract, the Cubs are known for their smart business decisions. This is just another proof of that practice. With that, the race for Yamamoto is on.

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