Cubs ‘Unlikely’ to Enter, Win Bidding War for Seiya Suzuki

This should come as a surprise to exactly no one, but the Cubs are probably going to have two new starting corner outfielders when next season rolls around. Both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki will be free agents once the season officially ends, and there are long odds on reunions with either. Happ has repeatedly expressed his love for Chicago, the Cubs, and the fans, but he’d probably have to accept a very team-friendly offer on a short-term deal to return.

Suzuki is a different story, as he has quietly put together a very strong stretch over five seasons. His defense, long the subject of consternation after coming over as a multiple Gold Glove recipient in Japan, picked up in right field this year as well. He figures to be near the top of his free-agent class, which could take him out of the market for a Cubs team looking to invest more heavily in pitching.

Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney reported that “it’s unlikely the Cubs will get into a bidding war for Suzuki’s services, let alone win one,” and I don’t think you need me to explain that any further. At the same time, they’re not expected to spluge on Tarik Skubal either. So will that leave them in more or less the same spot they’ve been for several years when it comes to seeking value by spending on B- and C-tier free agents?

With Kevin Alcántara seemingly written off — and out of minor league options — it’s possible we’ll see Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramírez getting very regular or even everyday playing time at the corners. Alcantara and others could be traded to add controllable pitching, which the Cubs are going to need after possibly losing all five members of their year-end rotation. The hope is that Ben Brown, Cade Horton, and Justin Steele are all healthy by the time camp opens, but that’s far from a guarantee.

If Jed Hoyer does add to the outfield mix, it’ll probably be more of a Michael Conforto pickup who costs little and carries no real risk. Maybe a contact-oriented hitter to balance out an offense that couldn’t win without hitting homers. Losing Suzuki will put a huge dent in that offense, but it appears as though the outsized need to replenish pitching will consume the front office’s priority list.

I’m interested to see whether and how they go about addressing those needs in the month or so between the end of the World Series in late October and the end of the current CBA just before midnight on December 1. What I can say with a relative degree of certainty is that they will not pony up for an elite defensive left fielder who hits for power and contact, reaches base at an above-average clip, and is universally loved.