Cubs Notes: Reliever Signed, Okamoto Linked, Doubts About Imai & More

The Cubs have added two new players so far this week. The first came on Monday with the signing of catcher Christian Bethancourt, who returns for his second stint with the club. The next came on Tuesday with the signing of reliever Jacob Webb (more on him below).

While the club has made a handful of minor acquisitions so far this offseason, fans are still waiting for that blockbuster moment to arrive.

Tatsuya Imai could be that moment, and with his posting deadline fast approaching (January 2 at 5 p.m. EST), a team will have to reach a deal with the Japanese star soon, or his window to sign will expire.

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

Chicago Cubs Add Jacob Webb To Bullpen - The Cubs continued their bullpen makeover by adding veteran right-handed reliever Jacob Webb on a one-year deal. The 32-year-old spent last season with the Texas Rangers, where he posted a 3.00 ERA in 66 innings.

Webb's contract will see him earn $1.5 million in 2026, with incentives that could push that figure to $2 million. There is also a 2026 club option worth $2.5 million with incentives that could see him earn up to $3 million.

The Cubs are in agreement with right-handed reliever Jacob Webb on a one-year contract that includes a club option for 2027, per a source briefed on the deal. Webb has a career 2.99 ERA over 247 major-league appearances with the Braves, Angels, Orioles and Rangers.
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) December 23, 2025

Cubs Linked To Kazuma Okamoto - In a recent Bleacher Report live stream, insider Jon Heyman revealed that the Cubs were noted as a potential landing spot for Okamoto among a group of teams that included the Angels, Pirates, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Diamondbacks.

Early Odds For 2026 World Series Cement Cubs As Dark Horse Contender - Several sportsbooks have already posted 2026 World Series odds, and the Cubs currently sit at #11 and #12 over at FanDuel and DraftKings, respectively.

While the team does sit outside the top 10, those odds do position them as a playoff team. Not only that, but one major offseason deal for the club could see those odds drastically improve and put them past a few of the teams ahead of them.

Michael Busch And Nico Hoerner Named To Top MLB Playoff Performers List - Busch and Hoerner's exceptional postseason work has landed them on MLB.com's Top-20 Playoff Performers list, with the pair hitting among the elite during the 2025 postseason.

Michael Busch landed at #17 on the list. In eight games, he slashed 296/.387/.741 with an OPS of 1.128. That tied him for fourth-best amongst all postseason hitters. Meanwhile, Nico Hoerner came in at #19, one of just four players to finish with a batting average of over .400 with .419.

Ben Brown Enters Critical Cubs Season - The time may be ticking on Cubs pitching prospect Ben Brown. 2026 will mark his 10th season as a pro, and it's now or never for the 26-year-old. Brown was once a Top-30 prospect, but he still has yet to prove he can hang in the majors.

Cubs GM Carter Hawkins spoke to The Athletic (subscription required), revealing the issue, “When he’s locating consistently, when he’s locating at the top and the bottom of the zone, he misses a lot of bats. But when he’s locating in the middle of the zone, he doesn’t. And we’ve seen that. That’s been some of the damage that he’s given up.”

Cubs Bullpen Philosophy Reportedly Cost Them Brad Keller - News broke of Keller's Cubs departure last week as he signed a $22 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. While Cubs GM Carter Hawkins was clear about his interest in bringing Keller back, it seems like the Cubs' philosophy on relievers prevented that.

According to The Athletic's Cubs insiders Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma, the fact that the team didn't re-sign Keller "shouldn't come as a surprise," as the Cubs prefer to avoid paying relievers top dollar. If the market for Keller were a bit softer, the Cubs might have brought him back for 2026.

Insider Reveals Why Cubs Might Lose Out On Tatsuya Imai - In addition to what was said about Keller, Mooney and Sharma also revealed that the Cubs aren't convinced Imai is a true ace and worthy of a long-term investment. They conveyed that if Imai commands a deal of $190 million over eight years, the Cubs most likely wouldn't be buyers.

That said, if other teams share the same assessment of Imai, that could bring down Imai's price tag and put him back into the Cubs' range.

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