Roki Sasaki finalists crank up the heat on Jed Hoyer even more this offseason

The Chicago Cubs' offseason has been rather difficult to wrap one's head around.

On the surface, trading for Kyle Tucker is a huge victory. It gives Chicago a proper superstar in the middle of the lineup and puts Craig Counsell's team back on the map. The NL Central is imminently winnable and the Cubs may even be the favorites.

That said, Chicago's subsequent inability to avoid arbitration in the final year of Tucker's contract sets the stage for what feels like an inevitable breakup. If Tucker is indeed a rental, the Cubs are in a tough spot. Jed Hoyer has done little to flesh out the margins of his roster. That is most glaringly apparent on the pitching front.

Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele are good enough to lead a quality rotation, but starting depth is still lacking for the Cubs, who probably shouldn't place unfettered faith in the likes of Colin Rea or Javier Assad. Factor in a deeply underwhelming bullpen, and the Cubs need arms. Bad.

There was initial hope that Chicago might be able to leverage the success of Japanese stars Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki into a legitimate chance at signing Roki Sasaki, the best remaining pitcher in free agency. The 23-year-old comes over from Japan already hailed as a future No. 1 starter. He's arguably the best pitching "prospect" in the world, but he's not coming to Chicago, as the Cubs were ruled out of the sweepstakes.

And thus, pressure mounts for Jed Hoyer and the front office.

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Cubs' Roki Sasaki whiff just puts more pressure on Jed Hoyer

It's a bit troubling that the Cubs, such a history-rich and accomplished organization, can't even gain traction after an in-person meeting with Sasaki. Part of it is location — Sasaki is widely expected to land on the west coast — but there are three reported finalists: the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Toronto Blue Jays. The Cubs can't even beat out the Blue Jays in a free agent pursuit that has nothing to do with money. Sasaki, at 23, is only eligible to sign as a prospect, so he won't get a nine-figure deal. He is choosing based on what essentially amounts to personal preference.

Without Sasaki in the mix — and with him probably landing with the Dodgers or Padres — the Cubs' talent deficit in the rotation becomes more glaring. Most of the National League heavyweights upgraded their pitching staffs this winter. Blake Snell went to LA. Corbin Burnes went to Arizona. Jesus Luzardo wound up in Philadelphia. Only the Braves seem to be trending in the wrong direction, but Spencer Strider's impending return from injury should make up a lot of ground.

Chicago has the talent to pose a threat in a wide-open NL Central. Tucker, even if he's only around for one season, gives the Cubs a sense of legitimacy that did not exist a season ago. Without a more stable pitching staff, however, all hope may be futile. Few managers can work a bullpen better than Counsell, but even he needs the baseline talent necessary to win games. Chicago may not reach that baseline.

The pressure on Jed Hoyer is as suffocating as ever. The Cubs' higher-ups may be content with mediocrity, but at a certain point, Chicago ought to operate with the seriousness of a marquee franchise.