Cubs extension timeline feels murky after Seiya Suzuki contract clue

Even as the Chicago Cubs made significant investments in Edward Cabrera and Alex Bregman this offseason, one truth has hung over the franchise since the moment they were eliminated in the 2025 NLDS: a lot of the team's core is set to hit free agency after the 2026 season concludes.

Seiya Suzuki is just one of many such players entering a lame duck contract year. The right fielder and designated hitter had arguably the best season of his career last year, clubbing 32 home runs en route to a 123 wRC+ and 2.5 fWAR. And yet, the Cubs have yet to approach the 31-year-old with an extension offer according to The Athletic's Patrick Mooney.

Seeing as Suzuki is one of the team's best hitters and most productive players, that begs the question: Have the Cubs approached any of their free-agents-to-be with a renewal offer? And, if not, what's the plan to replace them in 2027 and beyond?

Cubs facing existential crisis with current core's lack of contract security

Beyond Suzuki, the following Cubs players are set to hit free agency next offseason or have an option that could get them there: Shota Imanaga, Ian Happ, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Nico Hoerner, Colin Rea, Hunter Harvey, Carson Kelly, Caleb Thielbar, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and Tyler Austin.

Not including Austin (who is now set to miss multiple months following a knee procedure), that's 12 players, or 46 percent, of the team's projected Opening Day roster this year. That's too much talent to replace all at once, no matter how many free agents are signed or prospects that make their way through the upper ranks of the minor leagues.

One would have to assume that the Cubs plan to re-sign at least a handful of those players, and it should be acknowledged that Rea and Webb have club options that are likely to be exercised. Still, looming discussions about a salary cap may also have the front office scared enough right now to prioritize flexibility above all.

Then again, such lockout concerns didn't stop the team from dropping $175 million on Bregman, nor did it stop the Cubs from shelling out Owen Caissie and other quality prospects for Cabrera. This is a team built to win now, though how sustainable that is will depend on which players are extended and which aren't.

Perhaps that's why the Cubs are being so patient — they plan to use data from the 2026 season to influence their choices on which of their in-house free agents they prioritize. Or maybe they genuinely plan to let everyone go and test the market amidst an impending lockout. It's hard to say what this front office is thinking at any given moment, and that's especially true now that we know that players like Suzuki don't have any clue what their future in Chicago holds.