The Chicago Cubs won’t be able to keep everyone. 

The Cubs have a long list of players set to enter free agency after the 2026 season ends. Players like Kevin Gausman, Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Clay Holmes, Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, Tyrone Taylor, Michael Conforto, and Carson Kelly could all find new homes this coming offseason. 

Obviously, the Cubs cannot physically bring back all those players. It’s impossible. However, there are two players from that free agent list that the front office should be doing everything it can to retain. 

The Cubs can’t afford to lose Suzuki. The Japanese slugger has put together back-to-back strong campaigns and is coming off his best all-around season with the North Siders in 2026. He slashed .270/.368/.473 with 26 home runs, 31 doubles, one triple, 86 RBI, and three triples across 143 games. 

What was most surprising about Suzuki’s 2026 season was his defense. After being a subpar defender in his first four Major League campaigns, the 32-year-old was an above-average defender last season. He ranked second in defensive runs saved (14) and Fielding Run Value (8) among all National League right fielders. 

The Cubs are expected to extend a qualifying offer to Suzuki to keep him from reaching free agency. However, there’s a strong chance that the slugging outfielder declines that qualifying offer and tests the free-agent market instead. 

Losing Suzuki would be a pretty significant loss for the Cubs. He has been the perfect power hitter for the team at the top of the lineup. He hit a career-high 32 home runs and drove in 103 runs in 2025, and he had another strong power-hitting season in 2026. 

The Cubs made a big move at the August trade deadline to acquire Holmes. They needed some pitching help and got one of the best starters available at the deadline. However, the veteran right-hander was only a rental for the 2026 season. 

While Holmes isn’t technically a free agent yet, the expectation is that he will decline his $12 million player option to become a free agent. If you’re the Cubs, it would be smart to re-sign the two-time All-Star pitcher. 

Holmes is a perfect fit for this Cubs team. He’s an extreme groundball pitcher who will thrive on pitching in front of a defense that features three former Gold Glove winners (Alex Bregman, Dansby Swanson, and Nico Hoerner) and another above-average defender (Michael Busch). His 60.8% groundball rate this past season ranked in the 99th percentile. 

Getting Holmes back is almost a must.