MLB Rumors: 5 teams who must pony up for Blake Snell with market thinning

3. The Cubs could use a frontline starter like Blake Snell even after signing Shota Imanaga

The Chicago Cubs finally got on the board this offseason by signing Shota Imanaga to a deal. Imanaga should slot right into the middle of the Cubs rotation and provide a boost. While this was a fine addition, the Cubs need more.

Chicago just lost Marcus Stroman who signed with the Yankees. While Imanaga is younger than Stroman, he's nowhere near as proven. Stroman, when right, is a legitimate No. 2 starter. While the Cubs hope maybe Imanaga can get there, he's projected to be more of a mid-rotation arm. The Cubs could use another frontline guy to pair with Justin Steele, and Snell makes a lot of sense in that regard.

The Cubs got Imanaga at a bit of a discount, leaving open the possibility of them potentially splurging on another arm like Snell. It's probably less likely considering the need to bring Cody Bellinger back to Chicago is greater, but Snell would be a really impactful addition for a Cubs team in need of several of those.

Adding Snell to a rotation that already has Steele, Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and Kyle Hendricks should be good enough to make them a playoff team.