The Chicago Cubs are being urged to flip one of their top-two farm talents to land a coveted young star on the trade market.

The Padres are highlighted as a potential trade destination for All-Star closer Devin Williams, adding intrigue to offseason trade discussions.

The Cubs have made themselves desirable to Japanese players, and their infrastructure might make a logical fit for Sasaki.

It’s been widely assumed that whenever the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s NPB post Roki Sasaki so he can come to MLB next year, he’ll sign with the Dodgers. Or if not, perhaps the Padres. This posting isn’t likely to happen for a few weeks,

Japanese superstars have been a driving force in MLB free agency in recent years, most notably when Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined the Dodgers last winter, whose combined contracts totaled north of $1 billion.