The Chicago Cubs still need an Ace and adding this future star would give them just that.
The Chicago Cubs came into the offseason needing to fix three holes on their roster: adding a star, adding another starter, and fixing the bullpen. Two of those three things have been taken care of with the Chicago Cubs acquiring Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros and signing left-hander Caleb Thielbar to be a lefty option out of the bullpen.
However, the top prize other than Kyle Tucker the Chicago Cubs have had their sights on is signing Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki.
What adding Roki Sasaki would do for the Chicago Cubs?
The Chicago Cubs still don’t have an Ace and being able to sign Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki would give the Cubs just that. Adding Roki Saski to pair with his compatriot Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele who by all measures looks to have a Cy Young season, would be a dominant 1-3.
Roki Sasaki in four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines was electric amassing a record for his career of 30-15 with an astounding low 2.02 ERA, while having a 11.4 career strikeout per nine rate, which allowed him to strikeout 524 batters in 414.2 innings pitched.
Sasaki for the 2024 NPB season was great as usual which is why he has a desire to come over to the Major Leagues and see if he can make it here just as his compatriots before him also did. Going 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts, in 111 innings pitched is the reason why Sasaki is being so sought after.
The Cubs have two Japanese stars of their own in Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki who give the Cubs and inside edge in signing Roki Sasaki. It will be key for the Cubs for Imanaga and Suzuki to develop strong relationships with Sasaki in order for the Cubs to land Sasaki.
Will Roki Sasaki be a Chicago Cub?
The 23-year-old Sasaki will officially be allowed to sign with Major League teams on January 15th. In competition along with the Cubs to acquire Roki Sasaki are the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, both the New York Yankees and Mets, the San Francisco Giants, and finally the San Diego Padres.
So far, by all accounts all the trustworthy MLB insiders think that the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres are the two likely teams to land Sasaki. Given that the Los Angeles Dodgers have the best player in baseball in Shohei Ohtani and just signing last years phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto; as well as the San Diego Padres having Sasaki’s ideal in Yu Darvish the Cubs have their chances cut out for them.
With the Cubs recent acquisitions and finally acquiring a superstar which they lacked, adding Sasaki would give the Cubs two superstar players in Kyle Tucker and Roki Sasaki, with Shota Imanaga emerging as another potential superstar.
If the Cubs can sign Roki Sasaki they would officially win the offseason and be on of the best teams in the National League and possibly all of baseball. We shall find out soon who Roki Sasaki chooses to sign with, and hopefully when it happens he’ll be wearing the Cubs colors come next season.
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