Nightmare scenario for Cardinals on the table as Cubs push for superstar pitcher

A recent tweet from MLB Insider Jim Bowden listed the Cubs among other teams that remain in the running for young superstar pitcher Roki Sasaki. The 23-year-old has publicly met with a number of suitors, but no decision is expected until closer to the end of January.

If the Cubs are able to find a way to woo Sasaki to the northside of Chicago, that would make them clear favorites in the NL Central as they have been the most aggressive team thus far in the offseason. While the St. Louis Cardinals have yet to make their franchise reset decisions, the Cubs made aggressive moves in trading for Kyle Tucker and moving Cody Bellinger days later in hopes of taking advantage of a stagnant division.

In a rotation that already features top arms like Rookie of the Year contender Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, veteran Jameson Taillon, and recently signed Matthew Boyd. The fifth spot appears headed toward Javier Assad, but a Sasaki signing would immediately slot the rookie into the third spot at minimum.

Bowden's tweet names other teams like the predicted Dodgers, Padres, Yankees, and Mets while really only ruling out the White Sox as a landing spot for Sasaki. Outgoing President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak planned to at least kick the tires on landing the star, who is opting to sign now for a minor league deal as opposed to the high posting contracts other players see. While it has not been confirmed if and when the meeting with the Cardinals has happened yet, it would be organizational malpractice not to at least make a pitch for Sasaki.

In other recent news regarding the righty, MLB Trade Rumors notes that Sasaki's agent Joel Wolfe states that market size will not be a factor when choosing where to sign. This is consistent with previous reports saying that Sasaki wishes for a soft landing with the opportunity to get familiar with the American game without massive media pressures. Looking at a timeline for a decision, Sasaki made some visits with teams before returning to Japan for the holidays and is expected to return after for additional meetings.

While the thought around the league is that Sasaki will not sign until January 15th at the earliest, the Cubs being publicly confirmed as a suitor could make them as front runners in the division. The Cardinals still stand a chance of signing the 23-year-old, but news of any meetings has yet to come out.