Listen, I won’t claim to have insider knowledge here, and it’s not like the Chicago Cubs wouldn’t hear out calls about Seiya Suzuki, but let’s be real, the Cubs aren’t trading away their second-best hitter as they prepare for the stretch run in 2026. They’re a playoff team with higher aspirations in October, and I doubt the front office wants Michael Conforto to be the primary right fielder during the final couple of months of the regular season.
I’ve mostly ignored these trade rumors that continue to bring up Suzuki’s name, but Friday’s report from Bob Nightengale in USA Today was downright stupid. In case you’ve missed it, in search of starting pitching help not only for 2026, but for beyond, the Cubs have reportedly shown interest in Seattle Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock.
You can read more about Hancock here, but in summary, he’s having a breakout year in his age-27 season, currently has a 3.26 ERA in 20 starts, and is under team control through 2030. The results have been good, but experts do point out some troubling metrics that could potentially lead to a falloff in production.
That brings us to Nightengale’s blurb on the Cubs and Hancock in his Friday morning article.
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Teams are salivating over the idea of acquiring Hancock, who’s easily the most prized young starter on the market. They believe that the Cubs could have the best shot at him if they include outfielder Seiya Suzuki and perhaps infielder Matt Shaw in a deal.
Oh really? Teams think that the Cubs can get a deal done with the Mariners for Hancock if they trade away Suzuki, a guy who has an .836 OPS and is on pace to hit 26 home runs? Oh, and why not also add in Matt Shaw, the versatile 24-year-old, who, after playing good defense at third base in his rookie year, has also turned himself into a solid right fielder this year.
I’m sure every team in the National League would love for the Cubs to trade Suzuki, who has been the 12th-best hitter in the NL since the start of the 2023 season. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills any time there’s a new rumor saying the Cubs could be making a trade involving Suzuki. So stupid.
Oh, and on top of it all, Suzuki has a full no-trade clause. Why would he want to go from a winning team in Chicago to a below-.500 team? Thanks for the insight, Bob.
