MLB Rumors: Cubs big pivot, Red Sox target, Blue Jays getting hosed

MLB Rumors: Cubs' pivot plan after losing out on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The Chicago Cubs made the biggest managerial move in quite some time by signing Craig Counsell away from the rival Milwaukee Brewers. Counsell now has the richest contract for a manager in MLB history. So far, the Cubs were unable to match the excitement of the Counsell hire with player acquisitions.

Chicago was linked to three players in particular this offseason -- Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow. All three of those players ended up on the Los Angeles Dodgers. With that, the Cubs have to figure out what they want to do to help improve a team that was one game out of the final Wild Card spot in the National League.

The Athletic's Stephen J. Nesbitt and Chad Jennings (subscription required) both detailed where every team that lost out on Yamamoto could pivot to. For the Cubs, they write that the team would be likely to either sign "a middle-of-the-rotation free agent" like Shota Imanaga, or make a trade for a starting pitcher.

Imanaga is a 30-year-old left-handed pitcher who played for Nippon Professional Baseball's Yokohama DeNA BayStars since 2016. In 165 games, Imanaga recorded a 3.18 ERA, a 1.118 WHIP, a 64-50 win-loss record, 1,021 strikeouts, and 280 walks in 1002.2 innings.

For those wondering trade options for the Cubs, Nesbitt and Jennings bring up Dylan Cease of the White Sox and Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians as potential options.

"A trade for Shane Bieber or Dylan Cease — or any other trade market starting pitcher with modest remaining team control — might be a more reasonable and worthwhile alternative than any of the remaining high-end free-agent starters.

Cease has been a name brought up as a potential trade acquisition for teams in need of starting rotation help. The right-hander is 27 years old and has two more seasons of arbitration remaining before becoming a free agent.

In an AL-high 33 starts this past season, Cease recorded a 4.58 ERA, a 1.418 WHIP, a 7-9 win-loss record, 214 strikeouts, and 79 walks in 177.0 innings.

As for Bieber, he is under contract for the 2024 season. After that, he will become an unrestricted free agent. So, this will be the final opportunity for the Guardians to trade the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner.

Through 21 starts, Bieber recorded a 3.80 ERA, a 1.234 WHIP, a 6-6 win-loss record, 107 strikeouts, 34 walks in 128.0 innings.

The Cubs will need to strengthen their starting rotation, especially with Marcus Stroman electing for free agency. With the lack of major moves, Cubs fans will be waiting to see if the team can do something to excite them ahead of the 2024 campaign.