5 dream MLB Winter Meetings moves the Cubs should make

3) Dream Winter Meetings move the Cubs should make: Signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Pairing Justin Steele with Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto would give the Cubs one of the best one-two punches in all of baseball when it comes to their rotation. Yamamoto figures to be a fairly sizable upgrade over Marcus Stroman and is far more appealing than the other free agent starters that can actually pitch in 2024.

Yamamoto is coming off three straight Sawamura Awards (Japanese version of the Cy Young) and projects as a very clear frontline starter. And that's just for 2024, he can easily improve.

The right-hander is just 25 years old, meaning he's not even in the prime of his career yet. His youth is what makes him far more appealing than arms like Sonny Gray or Blake Snell. The Cubs can sign him to a deal for seven or eight years and not worry about a steep decline as he ages. Most free agents become available when they're around or over the age of 30. Yamamoto is five years younger.

The youth is great, but also means more teams will be in on him. With the Cubs having a young roster, signing Yamamoto would allow him to grow with his teammates and push the 'win now' window a bit further down the line until everyone is ready. Signing Ohtani means it's time to win right now while some of the top Cubs prospects are still developing. Signing Yamamoto means it's time to win when everyone is ready.