Chicago Cubs

The list of potential suitors for Japanese ace Rōki Sasaki in free agency continues to grow.

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic revealed on Friday that the Chicago Cubs have a meeting scheduled with Sasaki.

The 23-year-old has reportedly visited with the New York Mets already.

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed that his team is also meeting with Sasaki and the Los Angeles Dodgers are considered to be a possible destination for the right-hander as well.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer previously confirmed that the team already submitted an initial presentation to Sasaki and his agent on Dec. 11.

"I think we're an appealing destination for any Japanese player," Hoyer said at the time, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

Chicago already has success with free-agent Japanese starters, signing Shōta Imanaga to a four-year deal worth $58 million guaranteed prior to the 2024 season.

Imanaga exceeded expectations in his first year with the organization, earning an All-Star nod while finishing with a 15-3 record to go along with a 2.91 ERA and 1.021 WHIP.

He was previously teammates with Sasaki, as they were both on Team Japan's roster during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Sasaki wrapped up an incredible career with Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball. He finished with a 29-15 record to go along with a 2.10 ERA and 0.894 WHIP in 64 NPB appearances.

Sasaki showcased his fastball and splitter, racking up 505 strikeouts compared to 88 walks in 394.2 innings pitched.

Most of the Cubs' offseason activity has occurred on the trade market so far, acquiring star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a Dec. 13 deal with the Houston Astros. Chicago also moved Cody Bellinger to the Yankees on Tuesday.

As the Cubs attempt to build upon a record of 83-79 in 2024, the potential duo of Imanaga and Sasaki would give them a pair of imposing options at the top of their rotation.

It appears as if the Chicago Cubs and Sammy Sosa have reconciled.

While the former star right fielder and franchise he became famous for have remained at a distance throughout his retirement, Sosa released a statement Thursday reminiscing about his memories with the Cubs and apologizing for his mistakes.

"There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games," he wrote, in part. "I never broke any laws, but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize."

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts released his own statement and invited Sosa to the annual Cubs Convention in January:

The Cubs convention happens every winter and brings current and former players of the team together to look back at memories and look ahead to a new season with fans. Activities include panel conversations and autograph sessions, and Sosa surely would have been invited to one in the past if he and the franchise remained in each other's good graces.

However, Ricketts remained steadfast in his position that Sosa wouldn't be welcomed back to the team without some form of apology.

Sosa was one of the players from his generation tied to alleged performance-enhancing drug use, which is surely why he is not in the Hall of Fame. While he didn't admit to using them in his apology, there seems to be something of a head nod to potential use when he said "there were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries."

His departure from the Cubs after the 2004 season was also far from a ceremonious one, as he refused to play in the final game of the season.

Still, that was more than 20 years ago at this point, and both sides appear ready to move forward together.

Sosa was a Cubs icon when he played for the team from 1992 through 2004. He was a National League MVP, seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger during that span that included three seasons of more than 60 home runs.

One of those seasons was the famous 1998 one when he and Mark McGwire captured the attention of the nation in pursuit of Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61 long balls. McGwire ended up with 70, while Sosa hit 66.

Barry Bonds eventually broke both of their marks with the 73 he hit in 2001.

McGwire and Bonds were also tied to PEDs but have since been embraced and recognized by the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants, respectively. This seems to open the door for the Cubs to do the same with Sosa, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him around Wrigley Field and the organization at times during the 2025 campaign and beyond.

Kyle Tucker says he will be "always open" to extension talks with the Chicago Cubs following his trade from the Houston Astros.

"I'm always open to talks to see where it leads. Like I said, always open to that. You never know what the future's going to hold," Tucker said during a Tuesday interview.

Tucker added: "Like I said, I'm always open for talks, or negotiations, and just kind of seeing where that leads. But definitely, Chicago's a great city to play in, great city just in general. So, I'm open for anything."

The Cubs traded third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and third baseman Cam Smith on Friday in order to acquire the final season of Tucker's expiring contract.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer simultaneously indicated on Tuesday that the club was planning to discuss a potential extension with Tucker.

"Of course, you want players like Kyle Tucker for a long time, there's no question," Hoyer said on Tuesday. "Again, he's at such an elite level in our game.

"Are you ever going to know if we're having extension talks? No. So, I wouldn't comment on it, but of course. When you acquire a player like that, you want to have that player for a long time, and I think that certainly there will be contact with his agents. We'll have discussions, we'll keep those internal."

Tucker earned an All-Star nod for the third straight season in 2024 before his season was cut short by the shin fracture that sidelined him for three months.

He was still productive when healthy, ending the season having slashed .289/.408/.585 with 23 home runs and 49 RBI in 78 games for the Astros.

The right fielder is estimated by Spotrac to earn $16.7 million in his final year under arbitration next season.

He could net more than $300 million on his next contract, as predicted by MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Given that the biggest extension ever signed by the Astros was Jose Altuve's $151 million deal in 2018, that could have put him out of Houston's price range.

The Cubs have meanwhile never handed out a contract worth more than $184 million, the standard set by outfielder Jason Heyward in 2016, per MLB.com's Sarah Langs. Given that Cubs leadership has indicated they are ready for the club to become a playoff contender, Chicago could now consider breaking that record to build a competitive outfield around Tucker.

The Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins are discussing a trade centered around Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo, according to Bruce Levine of Marquee Sports Network.

For the Cubs, Outfield prospect Owen Cassie or infielder James Triantos will "likely" be included in the exchange as Miami wants a "young controllable bat" in return for Luzardo (via Levine).

Chicago has already been active on the trade market, acquiring Kyle Tucker in a deal with the Houston Astros on Friday.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale previously reported that the Cubs were showing interest in Luzardo on Friday.

The 27-year-old has shown that he can be an effective rotation contributor when healthy, but he's coming off an injury-riddled 2024 campaign. Luzardo made 12 appearances, with his last occurring on June 14 before dealing with a lumbar stress reaction that ended his regular season.

He struggled in his limited playing time, posting a 5.00 ERA and 1.245 WHIP. Luzardo also recorded 58 strikeouts compared to 22 walks in 66.2 innings of work.

He's only exceeded 100 innings pitched in 2022 and 2023, but the results from both seasons are promising. In those two years combined, he compiled a 3.48 ERA and averaged 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

Given Luzardo's prior success and the two remaining years of team control on his contract, his name has surfaced in trade buzz throughout the offseason. MLB Network's Jon Morosi revealed that the lefty was drawing interest at the winter meetings on Monday

The Cubs haven't been shy about their desire to add rotation depth behind Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon, signing Matthew Boyd to a two-year deal on Dec. 7. Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic also reported that Chicago was eyeing free-agent starter Jack Flaherty.

With the Cubs and Marlins reportedly discussing a deal centered around Luzardo, he could experience a change of scenery in the near future.

The Kyle Tucker trade was just the start of the Chicago Cubs efforts on the offseason trade market.

During an appearance on Cubs 360, Bruce Levine of Marquee Sports Network reported that the team was actively shopping for a starting pitcher and were specifically talking to the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants about a Cody Bellinger trade.

"They are working on getting a starting pitcher," Levine said. "Jed Hoyer promised us at the winter meetings in Dallas that the focus would be trade, trade and trade and that free agency would come a little later."

The Cubs dealt third baseman Isaac Paredes, 2024 first-round pick Cam Smith and pitcher Hayden Wesneski for Tucker, who will immediately become a prominent lefty bat in the lineup. This makes Bellinger expendable, and moving him for an impact move could bolster the rotation.

The Yankees were also in on Tucker and pivoting to Bellinger could help fill the hole left by Juan Soto's departure. The team also is flush with starting pitching depth after signing Max Fried in free agency, so an intriguing arm like Luis Gil could be expendable.

Chicago went 83-79 in 2024 and missed the postseason for the fourth consecutive season. The Tucker move was a major splash and adding another rotation starter alongside Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon could help the team take a step forward in the NL Central.

The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros have agreed to a trade involving outfielder Kyle Tucker on Friday.

The Cubs received the 27-year-old Tucker in exchange for infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third base prospect Cam Smith.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the deal.

Tucker spent his first seven MLB seasons in Houston, slashing .274/.353/.516 with 125 home runs, 417 RBI, 365 runs scored and 94 stolen bases over 633 career games.

After playing sparingly in 2018 and 2019, Tucker became a starter during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign and then broke out in a big way in 2021.

Tucker hit .294 with 30 home runs, 92 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 2021, and followed that up by hitting .257 with 30 homers, 107 RBI and 25 steals in 2022, and then hitting .284 with 29 home runs, 112 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 2023.

He finished in the top 20 in American League MVP voting in three straight seasons from 2021 through 2023, including a career-best fifth in 2023. He also won his first Gold Glove Award in 2022 and his first Silver Slugger Award in 2023.

The only thing that kept Tucker from a fourth season in a row of big-time production was a shin injury that cost him three months of action.

When healthy last season, Tucker continued to put up numbers, slashing .289/.408/.585 with 23 homers, 49 RBI, 56 runs and 11 steals in 78 games.

Once it became apparent this offseason that the Astros were open to trading Tucker, it seemed obvious that teams would line up for a chance to acquire him.

In addition to being in his prime, Tucker possesses a rare blend of power, speed and defense, plus he has championship experience, winning a World Series with the Astros in 2022.

The only major risk involved with trading for Tucker is the fact that he is entering the final year of his contract in 2025, so he could prove to be a one-year rental.

Since making the playoffs five times in six seasons from 2015 to 2020, they have now gone four straight campaigns without a postseason berth.

The lack of a superstar hitter in the middle of their lineup is a big reason why, but they have finally filled that need with the acquisition of Tucker, potentially putting them in position to end their drought.

The Chicago Cubs are "a strong player" to acquire outfielder Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros, Joel Sherman reported for the New York Post.

The New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies have also expressed interest in Tucker, according to Sherman.

Tucker missed almost three months with a shin fracture last season but still batted .289 with 23 home runs and 49 RBI in 78 appearances for the Astros. He is projected to make $16.7 million in his final year under arbitration by Spotrac.

The acquisition of Tucker would help the Cubs fill their outfield should the club succeed in a rumored goal to trade one or both of Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki this offseason.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer recently indicated that the club has discussed increasing spending on offense after prioritizing defense with players like Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong, per Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic.

"Especially up the middle, when you have Nico, Dansby and Pete, a lot of our salary and WAR is wrapped in our defense," Hoyer said, per Mooney and Sharma. "It's a fair (question) and something we talk about, for sure."

Should the Cubs decide to add more offense in 2025, Tucker would be a strong candidate.

He recorded one home run per 14.7 plate appearances in 2024, ranking third in efficiency only to Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani over his shortened season, according to the MLB Network.

Tucker's home run totals would have ranked him as the Cubs' leader in each of the prior three seasons, and his 23 homers during his injury-shortened 2024 campaign would have ranked him second only to Ian Happ.

The Cubs have built one of the most well-stocked farm systems in the MLB and are ready to begin contending. Manager Craig Counsell said in September that the Cubs "should be trying to build 90-win teams" going forward.

Adding Tucker could represent a step toward that goal, but there is no guarantee the Astros will decide to trade him at all.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported on Monday that the Astros would be "comfortable" with Tucker playing out his contract in Houston.

That choice would not be out of character for the Astros, who kept Alex Bregman on an expiring contract last season rather than seek a trade for the All-Star third baseman.

When telling reporters last December that the club wasn't interested in trading Bregman, general manager Dana Brown said that Phillies were "trying to win here."

Brown was slightly less bullish when discussing the possibility of trading players like Tucker this offseason. He said earlier this week that the Astros would "listen on anybody," according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle.

The general manager added, however, that the Astros didn't want to make deals that wouldn't help them win the AL West and return to the postseason. The Cubs could potentially use their prospect pool in order to construct an offer that matches that criteria.

Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg announced Tuesday that his prostate cancer has "relapsed" and "spread to other organs."

"This means that I'm back to more intensive treatment," he said. "We will continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for me and my family."

Sandberg first revealed his cancer diagnosis this past January. He followed up in August to say he was cancer-free.

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts called Sandberg "an inspiration to cancer survivors everywhere" in a statement Tuesday, per The Athletic's Patrick Mooney.

"I know all Cubs fans join my family and me in sending positive thoughts to Ryne and keeping him and his family in our prayers as he faces this next round of treatments to defeat cancer," Ricketts said. "Ryne has the heart and soul of a champion and that will serve him well in this challenge."

Sandberg spent his entire 16-year career with the Cubs. His 68.0 WAR are third-most in franchise history behind Cap Anson and Ron Santo, per Baseball Reference. He also has the fourth-most appearances (2,151) and hits (2,385)

The Hall of Fame second baseman's best year came in 1984, when he finished with 19 home runs, 84 RBI and a .314/.367/.520 slash line en route to winning National League Most Valuable Player. He also slugged .474 in the NLCS that year as Chicago lost to the San Diego Padres in five games.

In addition to his MVP, Sandberg retired with 10 All-Star appearances, nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Sluggers.

The Cubs unveiled a statue of the 65-year-old outside Wrigley Field in June. He was on hand for the festivities despite his ongoing cancer battle.

"This was a guarantee for me," he said. "I reverted back to my baseball days of having goals and my attitude of working towards something. That's what I've done."