The 2025 international free agency period opened on Wednesday, yet the Cubs apparently made no official signings despite having been eliminated from the Ru014dki Sasaki sweepstakes. That feels like more than just a coincidence or someone forgetting to report on any deals, especially given Sasaki’s impact on the market as a whole and Mark Feinsand’s report about “a number of teams asking for international money.” The Dodgers and Padres are named, but there could be mystery teams involved as opportunities arise to poach young players left in limbo.
I noted earlier in the week that the Cubs could try to trade recently-DFA’d pitching prospect Michael Arias for IFA pool money, and that ended up being half right.