Story byBruce LevineSun, December 7, 2025 at 11:33 PM UTC·5 min readThe MLB Winter Meetings again are a place where the Chicago Cubs will try to add depth to a team that won 90-plus games for the first time since 2018. The marketplace is open to the Cubs’ front office in three different areas — free agency, trades with the other 29 clubs and international players — with pitching being Chicago’s top priority. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLet’s examine each market and what the Cubs might do starting this week in Orlando, Fla.:Free agentsCubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer hasn’t complained about having enough payroll flexibility to add players to his team’s already-solid roster. Per league sources, the Cubs will have between $45 million and $50 million in payroll flexibility entering the 2026 season. Right now, the Cubs’ payroll commitment is $190 million. Dominant pitchers available include 27-year-old Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who follows Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as a projected power arm from the Pacific Rim.