Earlier today, the Cubs agreed to sign Japanese closer Kyuji Fujikawa to a two-year deal. While Theo Epstein & Co. have been known to be in the mix, the signing was something of a surprise the Angels were widely considered the frontrunners for his services. Here's more on the Cubs..
- The Cubs' signing of Fujikawa could lead to the Cubs and Angels revisiting a possible Carlos Marmol trade, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com. The two sides appeared to have struck a deal with Dan Haren heading to Chicago, but the Cubs ultimately backed out of the trade. Haren, of course, is now a free agent after the Angels declined his option for 2013.
- Fujikawa can also make $2MM per year in performance bonuses on top of the $9.5MM he'll earn in the two year deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. The contract also includes a vesting option for year three that turns to a team option if requirements are not met.
- The Cubs did not sign Fujikawa in order to flip him for something else, tweets David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com. The club likes his skill set and will also work to upgrade the pitching staff with more moves on the horizon.
- The Cubs will also head to Nashville in search of a rightfielder and a third baseman, though the latter will be tough to fill, Kaplan tweets.
