Craig Counsell's latest comments prove he's no fan of recent trade rumor

The Chicago Cubs are rumored to be heavily involved in the trade market this offseason, but manager Craig Counsell may have just deflated a recent rumor about outfielder Seiya Suzuki.

During a press conference on Monday, Counsell voiced his excitement for the Cubs' upcoming season opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers which will be held in Tokyo, Japan starting March 18. Specifically, Counsell said couldn't wait to see Suzuki and pitcher Shota Imanaga play in their native country.

These comments throw a wrench in a recent rumor that the Cubs are actively looking to trade Suzuki this offseason. This seemed like a ridiculous rumor from the jump for a variety of reasons but it was surprisingly vindicated when The Athletics' Sahadev Sharma confirmed it as a possibility. It goes without saying that Counsell wouldn't be the only one disappointed if he began the season without Suzuki on his roster.

Despite never reaching the home run and slugging numbers many would like to see, the outfielder posted the highest bWAR of his MLB career in 2024 at 3.5. He also put up well above-average marks for wRC+ (138), OPS+ (138) and hard hit%. Broadly speaking, Suzuki is statistically one of the best hitters the Cubs currently have on the roster. Oh and not to mention he has a full no-trade clause which makes trading him a much more complicated and unlikely process.

How can the Cubs improve their lineup?

Trading Cody Bellinger may be the only path toward shaking things up on the offensive side of the ball. He and Nico Hoerner are the two guys that make the most sense since they do not have no-trade clauses built into their contracts. Counsell also told the media that he expects the major league roster to look different by the time spring training rolls around so there is work to be done by the front office.

Adding another starting pitcher and more bullpen help comes to mind, but the right trade could yield interesting results. Houston Astros GM Dana Brown told reporters that he will be listening to offers regarding all of his players, including ace Framber Valdez and star outfielder Kyle Tucker. If the Cubs have to trade Bellinger and a group of top prospects to land Tucker, it would be well worth it in my opinion as long as Jed Hoyer can sign him to a contract extension.