The Chicago Cubs have been handed another reason to stay aggressive in the market for Kaima Taira, and it comes straight from ESPN’s latest contract projection. The outlet pegged the Japanese left-hander for a five-year, $72.5 million deal, a number that would put him at $14.5 million per season.
For a pitcher who led the NPB in ERA at 1.36 and posted a 245 ERA+ last season, that price looks awfully manageable. The Cubs have more than $100 million to work with this offseason, and starting pitching remains a clear need. If Taira comes in anywhere near that projection, he suddenly looks like the kind of swing that could fit both the roster and the budget.
The appeal goes beyond the number. Taira is only 5-foot-8, but his fastball can reach 99 mph, and he averaged just shy of a strikeout per inning in 2026. He also mixes in eight different pitches, and his career numbers are strong across the board: a 1.85 ERA in 633 2/3 innings.
There’s a reason the projection isn’t even higher, though. Taira’s injury history and the fact that he has only recently settled into a starting role likely keep the price in check. He had to persuade the Seibu Lions to let him start in 2023 because of his size, and while that move paid off, injuries pushed him back to the bullpen over the next two seasons before he returned to the rotation in 2026.
Even with that limited track record as a starter, the fit for Chicago is easy to see. Taira was excellent in both seasons he started, and he was still highly effective out of the bullpen, too, with a 1.71 ERA and 31 saves in 2025. At roughly $15 million per year, he would be a bargain if he can hold down a rotation spot.
One more thing that should catch the Cubs’ eye: Taira gets a lot of weak contact. Last year he produced a 49.6 groundball rate, which ranked 11th among all NPB starters. That kind of profile lines up neatly with Chicago’s elite defense, making him an especially interesting target.
Taira has already been cleared to negotiate with MLB teams, so the next question is how hard the Cubs push. The timing matters, too.
With a pending lockout on December 2, the NPB and MLB have agreed to a modified posting window this offseason, cutting the usual 45-day period to 30 days in line with the current CBA expiring on December 1. If a player doesn’t sign by then, he returns to his team in Japan.
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