The Chicago Cubs are actively pursuing Roki Sasaki, having scheduled an in-person meeting with the Japanese star in Los Angeles. This adds them to a competitive field of teams interested in signing the 23-year-old right-hander, who is expected to make a decision after the New Year.

The Chicago Cubs owe $570,000 in luxury tax this year, a relatively minor amount compared to other teams, indicating a more conservative spending approach amidst the league's high expenditures.

The Chicago Cubs were one of the nine MLB teams that exceeded the luxury tax threshold for 2024, with a payroll just over the threshold at $239,851,546. They incurred the lowest penalty among the taxed teams, paying $570,309. As a first-time offender, they faced a 20% tax on their overages.

The Chicago Cubs owe $570,000 in luxury tax, a relatively modest amount compared to other teams in the league.

Matthew Boyd was signed to a two-year, $29 million deal to bolster the Cubs' rotation. Despite posting a strong ERA of 2.72 in 2024, it came from a limited sample size of just 39 2/3 innings, and he has not pitched 100 or more innings in a season since 2019. The Cubs' rotation allows them to manage his workload effectively, provided he remains healthy.