Chicago faces a looming outfield crisis as reports suggest the front office will let rival big-spenders outbid them for their star Japanese slugger’s elite power bat.
It didn’t take long for free agent rumors to start swirling.
The Chicago Cubs were just swept by the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card Round a few days ago, and free-agent rumors are already circling the baseball world.
It will no doubt be a busy offseason for the Cubs, who have plenty of players hitting free agency. Players like Kevin Gausman, Shota Imanaga, David Peterson, and Carson Kelly will all test the open market this winter.
However, the biggest question mark this offseason for the Cubs is what they plan to do with their outfield. Both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are free agents at the conclusion of this year’s World Series. That leaves the team in a potential rough spot.
The Cubs have to answer one of these questions ahead of free agency:
- Do we bring back both Happ and Suzuki and simply run it back with the same outfield core?
- Do we pay Happ and let Suzuki walk, since he will cost much less?
- Do we pay Suzuki big money and let Happ walk because Suzuki gives us the best chance to win?
The front office will obviously weigh all these options ahead of free agency. However, it seems as if the Cubs have already made somewhat of a decision about Suzuki’s future with the organization.
Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reported that “it’s unlikely that the Cubs will get into a bidding war for Suzuki’s services, let alone win one.”
Hearing that the Cubs won't enter a bidding war for Suzuki doesn't bode well for their chances of getting him back. Teams like the Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Yankees are better suited to get into a bidding war for the slugger than the North Siders.
Mitch Bannon of the Athletic already reported that the Blue Jays will pursue Suzuki this offseason. Given that Toronto isn't afraid to spend on big-time players (e.g., Dylan Cease last offseason), there’s a strong chance that the outfielder doesn’t re-sign with the Cubs.
Losing Suzuki in free agency would be a big loss for the North Siders. He has been one of the team’s best power hitters since the Cubs signed him out of Japan in 2022. The Japanese slugger has 113 home runs over his five MLB seasons and has 58 home runs with 189 RBI combined over the past two years.
The Cubs would be losing that power bat at the top of their lineup if he goes to another team. Unfortunately, it’s very possible he does leave.
