5 Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki replacements the Cubs should already be considering

It might be a little early to worry about this, but the Chicago Cubs have a looming outfield problem with Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ. Both men have been mainstays in Chicago's lineup for years and are productive players at the plate and on defense. But with both hitting free agency at season's end, the Cubs are facing the harsh reality that both men may need to be replaced after 2026.

The Athletics' Sahadev Sharma recently pointed out that Suzuki may have already played himself out of the team's price range. He is on pace for his fourth straight 20+ home run, 70+ RBI season, with a fantastic 3.1 fWAR through 102 games entering Thursday. Suzuki has also improved on the margins, sporting plus defense in the outfield and drawing walks at a career-high 11.8 percent clip.

The other wrinkle is that Suzuki will likely be the most sought-after outfielder on the market next to Seattle's Randy Arozarena. The weak free agent class could drive his price up even further, making a Chicago reunion less likely. Sharma also noted that giving a large multi-year deal to a 32-year-old player would be extremely out of character for this front office. And in Suzuki's case, that contract could exceed $100 million in value.

The team may want to invest that money into revitalizing the pitching staff, which will have several members of the starting rotation and bullpen hitting free agency. Happ will be easier to keep and could be more inclined to take a team-friendly deal. But the Cubs may want to look for a younger and more consistent player moving forward.

Either way, it's a safe bet that the Cubs will not bring both players back this offseason, so they need to consider these options for their corner outfield in 2027 and beyond.

5 replacements the Cubs could consider for Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki

Kevin Alcantara

This is the most logical option to me. Kevin Alcantara has proven that he can be a productive player in Triple-A. The 24-year-old is an excellent defender, a plus baserunner and he enjoyed an impressive 41-game on-base streak this year.

Some people don't think Alcantara can replicate this production in MLB because he hasn't shown much in his big-league stints so far. But it's an extremely small sample size since the guy only has 45 MLB plate appearances to his name. Alcantara has the tools and talent to succeed in the majors, and he will have a better chance of doing so with everyday playing time.

Pedro Ramirez

It's honestly a miracle that Pedro Ramirez is still on this team. The Cubs were able to acquire some of the most prized pitchers at the trade deadline without parting with Ramirez, who was heavily rumored in trade talks this year.

The guy can play multiple positions and is hitting extremely well in his first MLB season. The 22-year-old is slashing .295/.350/.438 in his first 45 big league games. Although he's only played on the grass once for the Cubs, he logged time in the outfield in Triple-A before getting the call to Chicago.

He has the talent to adapt to the role, and his switch-hitting abilities at the plate are hard to ignore. Ramirez will at least be in the mix for a starting outfielder job in 2027.

Matt Shaw

Although he's been hurt for a good chunk of 2026 with a hand sprain, Matt Shaw figures to be a key piece of this team's future. Like Ramirez, Shaw recently expanded his defensive versatility and played 29 games in the outfield before suffering his injury.

Shaw has also flashed promising stretches with his bat. With 584 career plate appearances in MLB — which is roughly a season's worth of games — Shaw has 17 homers, 64 RBI and a 100 wRC+. It's nothing special, but those are numbers Shaw can build on, and we've already seen him improve without regular playing time. A starting job could elevate his numbers to a new level.

Taylor Ward

Taylor Ward could be an interesting guy to if the Cubs can get him on a cheap contract. His defensive skills would definitely be a downgrade from Happ and maybe Suzuki too, but his bat is intriguing. He's been a power-hitting righty for much of the last five years, averaging about 24 homers per year during his time with the Angels.

The power has decreased significantly this year, as Ward only has seven home runs and 30 RBI through 118 games. But Ward is striking out much less, dropping his K rate from 26.4 percent in 2025 to 20.5 percent in 2026. The 32-year-old is also one of the league leaders in walk rate, which has jumped to 16.3 percent in 2026 compared to 11.3 percent last season.

With Ward, the Cubs would be sacrificing defense for a hitter with a higher ceiling than Happ.

Josiah Hartshorn

This is the pie-in-the-sky option, as Hartshorn hasn't even cracked the Cubs' Double-A affiliate yet. But, at 19 years old, Hartshorn is proving to be a lethal power hitter. In 99 games between Low-A and High-A this year, Hartshorn has smacked 18 homers, driven in 92 runs, and has a robust .951 OPS. Good enough to rank him No. 60 on MLB Pipeline's top 100 list.

If all goes well, Hartshorn should be playing for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs by the middle of 2027, where he will be vying for a big-league callup. There are a lot of variables, and the Cubs certainly can't go into the 2027 season thinking Hartshorn is the immediate answer. He's still very young and we haven't even seen how he handles pitching in the upper levels of the minor leagues.

But the Cubs were not willing to trade him at this year's deadline, and he has the tools to turn into an everyday player. In this scenario, the Cubs would need to fill their outfield with players they already have in the system or a short-term free agent until Hartshorn is ready.

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