The Chicago Cubs crashed out in the Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres and now face major offseason decisions, including whether to re-sign Seiya Suzuki.
Suzuki hit .270 with 147 hits, 26 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 96 runs scored this season for Chicago, per StatMuse. Meanwhile, in the two Wild Card games against the Padres, the veteran went 2-for-7 with one run and one walk.
Still, in a weak free-agent class, the 32-year-old could be in demand. As a result, Zachary Rotman of FanSided believes the Cubs will lose Suzuki in free agency this offseason.
“Seiya Suzuki signed a five-year deal with the Cubs ahead of the 2022 season, and it’s safe to say he lived up to it,” Rotman wrote in an Oct. 1 article. “He averaged 22 home runs, 73 RBI, and an .823 OPS over that span, proving to be a rock-solid middle-of-the-order hitter for Chicago. He’s a player the Cubs should have an interest in re-signing, but will that actually happen?
“Not only is Suzuki already 32 years old, but he’s one of the best position players in a remarkably weak free agency class. This will likely result in him receiving a contract that’s longer and more expensive than the Cubs will or should want to give him. They probably won’t keep both Suzuki and Ian Happ, and while Suzuki is the better player, Happ should come cheaper, which is music to Tom Ricketts’ ears.”
Seiya Suzuki Is the No. 2 Free Agent for MLB Insider
Meanwhile, FanSided’s MLB insider Robert Murray has Suzuki as the second-best free agent behind Tarik Skubal. If the Cubs have to choose between Suzuki and Ian Happ, then Rotman will be right that the Japanese outfielder might be too expensive for Chicago to keep if there’s a bidding war for him.
“Suzuki, 32, is one of the top bats on the market and has improved defensively in the corner outfield,” Murray wrote in a Sept. 28 article. “He’s hit at least 20 home runs in four consecutive seasons, with a career-high 32 in 2025, and will have plenty of interest from offense-needy teams — with an early report already linking the slugger to the Toronto Blue Jays.”
Seiya Suzuki on Cubs Falling Short in the Playoffs
Knowing this could be the end of the road for Suzuki with the Cubs, the outfielder reflected on his time in Chicago as he couldn’t be part of a team that pushes for a deep playoff run, as they have fallen short when reaching the postseason.
“Just looking back on the five years, I don’t know if I was able to reach the expectations that people had,” Suzuki said through an interpreter in an Oct. 2 article (h/t Patrick Mooney of The Athletic). “Each year, there was frustration at the end of the year. Looking back at it, I felt like I did get better. I worked hard. The plus, this last year, was that my defense improved a lot with all that work I put in.
“Looking back, there’s a lot of what-ifs: Did I meet the expectations that people had about me, that I had about myself?”
Cubs Handed Strong Seiya Suzuki Free Agency Prediction