The Chicago Cubs could be accused of having given Seiya Suzuki a bit of the runaround last season.
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For the second straight year, they pulled him from his right field spot for what they felt was a better defender, opting to go with new acquisition Kyle Tucker in the field.
There was some grumbling early on from the Japanese star and some buzz about possibly being traded over his discontent as a full-time DH.
But, to his credit, Suzuki overcame his wounded pride and had a banner year at the plate, hitting 32 home runs and driving in 103 runs. He also did an outstanding job back in right field through the last part of the season and the playoffs, taking the spot of the injured Tucker and contributing with big power and big production.
Heading into 2026, the Cubs face the reality that Suzuki will be eligible for free agency at the end of the season. However, with so many of their core assets also potentially headed to free agency at the same time (Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga, etc.), there’s some reasonable doubt when it comes to whether Chicago will move to re-sign him.
Cubs predicted to extend Seiya Suzuki
MLB: Chicago Cubs at Athletics Apr 2, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (27) runs the bases after hitting a three run home run during the second inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
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But in ESPN’s ranking of the Top 100 players in baseball (where Suzuki ranks no. 92), writer Eric Karabell is predicting that Suzuki will be the recipient of a four-year extension early in the season. He’s also making the call that the right-hander will respond with a huge year.
Per Karabell:
“Suzuki agrees to a new four-year contract in April, earns his first All-Star berth and tops his power numbers with 35 homers and 110 RBIs.”
Too optimistic?
That’s certainly an optimistic take on his immediate future. With left fielder Happ also in the same position as Suzuki, many believe that the Cubs will only be able to re-sign one of their corner outfielders. And while the Japanese star has a greater offensive upside than Happ, Happ has proven himself to be the more consistent performer, both on offense and defense.
“I’m not sure,” Suzuki recently told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, via interpreter, regarding his future with the Cubs. “It depends on my performance. If I perform well, I want to stay. I feel like I still haven’t put up the numbers that people are expecting me to. It comes down to how I perform.”
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has been vocal about Suzuki’s ups and downs, but also the importance of his bat in the lineup, especially last season.
“It came with some really high highs and some really low lows,” Hoyer told Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. “I was really happy for him in the way it ended. He was so dangerous for us at the end of the season and so dangerous in the postseason. That was something that was really important to him. He’s a really, really good middle of the order hitter.”
So, consider ESPN’s prediction as a best case scenario for all involved. In the real world right now, though, everything is still very much up in the air.
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