The Chicago Cubs have not thrilled fans as of late when it comes to aggression with free agents.
As the team is reportedly looking to add starting talent to their rotation this offseason, subsequent reporting told fans not to hold their breath when it comes to them actually shelling out money for the top-of-the-line type talent such as Corbin Burnes and Max Fried.
That's why seeing San Francisco Giants ace Blake Snell sign a massive five-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the last week did not come as any sort of surprise.
Though Snell was never coming to the Cubs, him signing with the defending champs could have a potential ripple effect.
Chicago is seen already as a possible destination for Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki, mainly because, as just a 23-year-old, he is subject to contract restrictions that level the playing field and make the type of deal the Dodgers gave Yoshinobu Yamamoto last winter not possible.
Though Snell going to Los Angeles certainly doesn't disqualify them from the Sasaski sweepstakes since they were already seen as a favorite, they could pursue him with less urgency now after they just committed a $36.4 million AAV to a pitcher already this winter.
Jake Misener of Cubbies Crib says the Cubs' chances improved after the Snell deal.
"Frankly, in recent years the Dodgers are a threat to sign any and every high-end free agent," he wrote. "Taking them (potentially) out of the running on Sasaki after being viewed as early offseason favorites to land the 23-year-old is a big domino to fall. It only improves the Cubs' odds of shocking a frustrated and disenchanted fanbase by adding a superstar-caliber player to the mix heading into 2025."
If signed, Sasaki would join a team that prominently features fellow countrymen Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki, as well as past stardom from Japanese legend Yu Darvish.
Sasaki has a chance to be better than anyone before him from Japan with a devastating arsenal led by a nasty splitter and plenty of room to grow at his young age.
The obvious truth is if it were an open bidding war, Chicago wouldn't have a chance.
But without other teams having a financial advantage over the notoriously closed-wallet Cubs, there's no reason why Chicago shouldn't be heavily involved in the pursuit and potential signing of Sasaki.
