Japanese Invasion v2.0?

Cubs.com reports (via Japan's Sports Hoshi) the Cubs are close to signing Japanese lefty Ken Takahashi to a one-year contract.

Takahashi is 40, but (as the article points out) the Cubs currently only have two left-handed pitchers in the bullpen, Sean Marshall and Neal Cotts. If the Cubs want to move Marshall into the starting rotation (alongside Zambrano, Dempster, Harden and Lilly), signing another southpaw to replace him in the bullpen would be a wise move.

Cubs Weekend Roundup

The Cubs signed Reed Johnson, Chad Gaudin and Neal Cotts to one-year deals ($3, $2, and $1.1 million, respectively), and offered contracts to Kevin Gregg, Michael Wuertz and Ronny Cedeno as well.

Tickets to the Jan. 4 Public Skate at Wrigley Field are already sold out. (Sun-Times, citing a Cubs spokesman). No surprise there.

Peavy's agent is persistent.