Tatsuya Imai isn't the only Japanese star Brewers rivals' are interested in this winter

The National League Central has yet to see the type of division-altering move this offseason that would dethrone the Milwaukee Brewers as the favorites to win their fourth-straight division title. The Pittsburgh Pirates, surprisingly, have come the closest with trades for slugging second baseman Brandon Lowe and top outfield prospect Jhostynxon García in addition to their first multi-year deal in nine years -- a two-year pact with veteran first baseman Ryan O'Hearn. However, Pittsburgh, despite having a strong rotation to pair with their offensive additions this offseason, still has plenty of work to do if they want to enter the Brewers' airspace at the top of the NL Central.

Elsewhere in the division, the Cincinnati Reds have pivoted to a quiet winter after throwing their hat into the Kyle Schwarber sweepstakes, but with a young roster staying mostly intact after their surprising qualification for the postseason in 2025, the Reds didn't need to do much this offseason to remain a competitive team in 2026. The St. Louis Cardinals, meanwhile, have entered into a rebuild that is more than satisfying for their division rivals who have seldom seen the Redbirds tear it all down.

However, what is perhaps most surprising from the teams chasing the Brewers in the Central is the fact that the Chicago Cubs, who have finished second to the Brew Crew in each of the last three seasons (they technically finished behind St. Louis in 2024 but had the same record of 83-79), have yet to make a big splash this winter despite likely having to replace Kyle Tucker in their lineup and having the payroll space to make an impact signing.

The Cubs have instead spent their 2025-26 offseason up to this point, revamping their bullpen, which they've done in impressive fashion considering how little they have spent on their new relievers. However, after reportedly being interested in big-name free agents like Dylan Cease and top trade targets like MacKenize Gore, the North Siders have yet to make a move that would propel them to the category of "favorites" in the NL Central in 2026. That could, however, change in the near future as Chicago is reportedly interested in not one, but two Japanese stars whose posting windows are rapidly coming to a close.

Cubs are reportedly meeting with Japanese corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto, whose posting window closes on January 4

According to a report from Yahoo Japan, Kazuma Okamoto is traveling to the U.S. to hold in-person meetings with MLB teams interested in his services, and among those teams are the Chicago Cubs. Prior to the holidays, a report surfaced that the Cubs were interested in upgrading at third base, following an inconsistent rookie season from Matt Shaw at the hot corner. Their top target is Alex Bregman, but with much of the league interested in the 3x All-Star, Chicago may be forced to pivot to their back-up plan, which could be Okamoto.

Okamoto is about as steady as they come at the plate. Since his age-22 season in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, his OPS has hovered between .805 and .992, with the latter coming this past season. He's a decent defensive third baseman, though reports suggest that a switch to first base is likely as he continues to age. He would no doubt be an impactful signing for the Cubs, but is less of a sure-thing than someone like Bregman or Tucker for that matter.

Here's the issue: Okamoto's posting window closes on January 4 -- this upcoming Sunday -- and with many teams waiting for the Bregman domino to fall before making their final offers to the Japanese star, his market likely isn't materializing as he hoped it would. Such a reality could certainly lead to the Cubs missing out on both Bregman and Okamoto, with the logic being that they pass on Okamoto to prioritize Bregman but then miss out on the long-time Houston Astro after being outbid by a team who has a greater need at third base.

Regardless of what the Cubs end up electing to do, answers should come in the near future. Okamoto will have to agree to a contract before the end of the week, and it's likely that pressure leads to some movement in Bregman's market. If Chicago does miss out on both, expect them to pivot to a front-line starter like Tatsuya Imai, which could end up being a more impactful signing than adding a corner infield bat.