4 moves Cubs are likely eyeing earning them 'team to watch' hype

2) The Cubs are likely eyeing one of Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery

Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery have been the two best pitchers sitting in free agency for a while, and with Scott Boras representing them, there's a good chance they'll continue to sit for even longer, hoping a team meets their outrageous contract demands.

While the Cubs likely won't sign them when they're asking for truckloads of money, they're undoubtedly looking at them as potential rotation upgrades. Yes, they signed Shota Imanaga, but their rotation looks worse on paper than last season's staff.

The Cubs signed Imanaga to replace the recently departed Marcus Stroman. While Imanaga could potentially be better than Stroman, he's unproven at best right now. Adding an ace like Montgomery or Snell to pair with Justin Steele at the top of their rotation could be the move that makes the Cubs NL Central favorites.

The chances the Cubs actually sign one of these two pitchers are probably low, but it's not something to rule out. We've seen Jed Hoyer strike when he finds value he likes in free agency. If Snell or Montgomery's price gets to a reasonable number, the Cubs have enough money in their pockets and the desire to get a deal done.