Seiya Suzuki will be one of the top free-agent players this offseason, putting the Chicago Cubs in a precarious spot to retain the right-handed hitting outfielder. After the team’s embarrassing exit from the 2026 MLB Postseason, attention has turned to the Cubs’ future construction, and unfortunately, the giant crater created by pending free agents and uncertainty in the starting rotation may ultimately be why the Cubs lose Suzuki in free agency.
That has been the main talking point for the past couple of days since the San Diego Padres made quick work of the Cubs, sweeping Chicago in the Wild Card round. Suzuki was one of only four Cubs to record a hit against the Padres, as the team posted the worst offensive performance in MLB playoff history. Suzuki was hard on himself following the series loss, questioning whether he had lived up to expectations, including his own.
A humble message from Suzuki, who consistently posted strong numbers for the Cubs during his five-year contract. His rookie year was sidetracked because of a finger injury, but since then Suzuki has been a top-15 hitter in the National League.
From 2023-26, Suzuki posted a slash line of .270/.353/.480 while averaging 25 home runs per year. Although he didn’t like the move, Suzuki stepped aside in 2025 to make room for Kyle Tucker in right field. He was the primary DH and delivered 32 home runs with 103 RBI last season. The Cubs parted ways with Tucker, and Suzuki returned to the outfield, where he made sure to improve his defense.
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Suzuki concluded the 2026 season with his fourth straight year of 20+ home runs and an OPS above .800. So, why wouldn’t the Cubs want him back? Well, it has almost nothing to do with him as a player and everything about the organization’s biggest problem heading into 2027: pitching.
Matthew Boyd, Shōta Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson will all be free agents. Meanwhile, Justin Steele will be returning after missing nearly two full seasons. Cade Horton might not be available until July, as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, and Edward Cabrera has to start over with the Cubs after his dud of a 2026 season. The bullpen, which was a disaster down the stretch, will have several new arms next season.
In short, most of the Cubs’ offseason resources to improve the team will go to pitching, meaning Suzuki won’t be a priority. The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney has made that abundantly clear when discussing Suzuki’s future this week.
Via The Athletic.
Suzuki, who was 19th in the league in fWAR, put up some of the best overall numbers of his career, which will probably make him a hot commodity. Considering their pitching deficit, it’s unlikely that the Cubs will get into a bidding war for Suzuki’s services, let alone win one.
The Cubs have already made nine-figure commitments to Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman and Dansby Swanson — at a time when the pitching staff will need to be completely overhauled — so it seems likely that Hoyer’s group will stay in touch with Suzuki’s camp but not go all-out to win a bidding war.
The Cubs will place the qualifying offer on Suzuki once the offseason begins. That could slow the outfielder’s market, along with the impending lockout, but a weak free-agent class sets up well for Suzuki, as Randy Arozarena is the only other premier outfielder available. A deal in the $100 million range isn’t out of the question for Suzuki, and unfortunately for the Cubs, their main focus will be improving their pitching, which paints a clear picture of where they stand with Suzuki.
