The Chicago Cubs are closing in on clinching one of the three wild card spots in the National League after missing out on winning their first NL Central title since 2020. The Cubs are 87-70 this year and are in a three-way tie for the top spot with the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies.
One of their biggest impact players has been outfielder Seiya Suzuki, who is having perhaps the best season of his big-league career. The Cubs offense has been a strength this year largely because of his contributions, but he is a free agent at the end of the season and may not be back.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report predicted where some of the top free agent hitters will land this offseason, and had Suzuki leaving the North Siders for the Seattle Mariners.
“Since arriving stateside in 2022, Suzuki has played a key role in anchoring Chicago’s lineup. Utilized as both an outfielder and DH, he has delivered at least 20 home runs and 73 RBI in each of the last four seasons,” Buckley wrote.
“A lot of teams can use what he brings, including the Cubs. But with his contract value perhaps reaching nine figures, Chicago could choose to invest those funds elsewhere.
Offense-needy suitors will surely hope that’s the case. With Seattle losing Arozarena in our projections, the Mariners might make Suzuki a priority and keep another power bat in their outfield.”
Chicago Cubs Projected to Lose Seiya Suzuki to AL West Contender
The potential loss of Suzuki would hurt the Cubs quite a bit offensively. He hit 32 home runs last season and drove in 103 runs while posting an .804 OPS. This year, the 32-year-old outfielder is slashing .267/.365/.471 with 25 home runs, 85 RBI, a 4.9 WAR and an .835 OPS.
He is a strong right-handed presence with power, and without that in the lineup, the Cubs will need to go looking for some additional help. The North Siders signed him to a five-year contract prior to the 2022 season, and Buckley predicts that it will take a four-year deal for the Mariners to sign him.
But if the Cubs want to keep their streak of reaching the postseason alive, they’ll want to make sure that they try to keep Suzuki or at least find a right-handed bat that could replicate his production.
The free agent market isn’t exactly going to be stacked with star players this offseason, especially on the position side, so it will be interesting to see what the Cubs do.
How Seiya Suzuki Could Help Seattle Mariners
The Mariners lost Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suarez last offseason, so the offense certainly took a hit, and is a big reason why they have struggled in 2026 and are likely to miss the playoffs.
But with Suzuki in the lineup, they could make up for some of that and have somebody that can hit for power from the right side of the plate that also has All-Star potential. Seattle hasn’t spent too much in recent years, but Suzuki might be the right player to spend on.
Seattle needs more power in its lineup if it wants to reach the postseason in 2027.
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