Cubs Notes: Bregman Or Okamoto, Positive Imai News, Caissie's Key Stat & More

The end of the year is fast approaching, and so are posting deadlines for some of the hottest Japanese free agents on the market.

Two of those free agents the Cubs are linked to are starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai and third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. Expect news over the next week, as their January 2nd deadline is next Friday.

Here's the latest Cubs news and notes to catch up on.

Cubs notes

Cubs named perfect landing spot for Framber Valdez - While the Cubs have added quite a few arms to their bullpen since free agency began, fans are still looking out for that marquee signing. Particularly one that bolsters the starting rotation with an ace.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

And in a recent MLB.com article, the Cubs were once again named as the perfect landing spot for $200 million Framber Valdez. "...his grounder-heavy approach would look great on a team with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner vacuuming up anything hit to the middle infield," said MLB writer Andrew Simon.

There's no doubt the Cubs' defense is an excellent fit for a ground-ball specialist, but Valdez's $200 million price tag is likely too rich for Chicago.

Cubs under pressure as Bregman pursuit could impact another key target - The Cubs have shown interest in Alex Bregman for two years now, losing him to the Boston Red Sox last season in a bidding war. But this year, there is added pressure to the Bregman chase, as the Cubs' pursuit of another third baseman complicates the matter.

During a Bleacher Report live stream late last week, Jon Heyman revealed the Cubs' interested in Kazuma Okamoto, but also noted that many of the same teams are also in on Bregman. "Now, you'll notice that a lot of those teams are Bregman teams, so I think the Bregman situation needs to be clarified, and probably will be before Okamoto's [posting] expires, and that's on, I believe, January 2nd."

As Heyman notes, January 2 is quickly approaching, and the Cubs will need to act quickly before their options (and chances) diminish.

Cubs get another Tatsuya Imai boost after latest Yankees insider report - According to reports over the past couple of weeks, it is thought that Tatsuya Imai is likely to end up in either Chicago or with the New York Yankees.

A week ago, Yankees manager Aaron Boone poured cold water on those reports, though, saying that the Yankees haven't met with or scheduled time with Imai. That was a big boost for the Cubs, as it would leave the Cubs as the front-runner.

And this week, the Cubs got yet another boost from YES Network's Jack Curry, who said a connection between Imai and the Yankees "does not exist." Should the reports be accurate, it appears Imai is the Cubs to lose.

One key stat is fueling belief in Owen Caissie’s future - Chicago Cubs prospect Owen Caissie holds a lot of promise. While he struggled in his 12 MLB games in 2025, that's not uncommon for such a young player making their debut.

MLB recently highlighted the best prospect from each team and a key stat behind their potential success, and for Caissie it was his impression 139 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus), a stat that measures a player's overall offensive production, which is not only well over the MLB average, but also improved over the prior season.

5 worst first-round draft picks in Cubs history - In this one, we took a look at the worst Cubs draft picks ranked by bWAR (runs above replacement). Only first-round picks taken in the June or July amateur draft were considered. Check out the article for the full list.

3 players the Cubs need consistency from in 2026 - The Cubs had their best season since 2018 in 2025, but it could have been better with more consistency on the field by some of their top players.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Shota Imanaga, and Matt Shaw had up-and-down years seemingly defined by before and after the All-Star break. If they can be consistent for the length of the season, the Cubs will be in a great spot.

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