Potential Chicago Cubs Free Agent Target Signs Megadeal With Astros

After the Chicago Cubs agreed to a deal with Shota Imanaga and traded for Michael Busch and Yency Almonte, they addressed some areas of concern with a starting pitching upgrade, first base addition and bullpen piece.

It was a solid stretch for the franchise that had one of the most disappointing offseasons out of any team in Major League Baseball.

With those moves completed, there were some rumors and reports the Cubs weren't done adding pieces and might be able to land the star power the front office and ownership alluded to at the beginning of winter.

Who those pieces might be is unknown.

Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman make the most sense. Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery would massively upgrade their starting rotation.

But, perhaps the most important need was their bullpen.

Late last season, their relief staff was taxed, resulting in many blown leads that cost Chicago a spot in the playoffs.

Getting elite arms in this unit seems like a must.

Josh Hader would have been a logical solution, as he's the best available reliever on the market.

The left-hander is coming off his fifth All-Star selection and a year where he posted an ERA of 1.28 with 33 saves across 61 appearances.

Price likely was the issue here as Hader was reportedly looking to become the highest-paid closer in MLB history, surpassing the $102 million contract Edwin Diaz signed with the New York Mets.

If the Cubs were interested in the superstar closer, they missed their chance as Jeff Passan of ESPN reported he agreed to a five-year, $95 million contract with the Houston Astros that gives him the highest present-day value for a closer based on Diaz's contract referrals.

So, with bullpen still being a need for Chicago, they'll have to look elsewhere as the best reliever on the market is no longer available.