Cubs have a simple offseason solution that Seiya Suzuki's Gold Glove nod reinforces

The Seiya Suzuki question remains one of the most pressing for the Chicago Cubs ahead of the offseason, as the right fielder has established himself as a key piece of the team's core over the past handful of seasons. Now entering free agency for the first time since being posted from Japan, he figures to be hotly pursued as one of the best bets on the market.

The Cubs, of course, would benefit greatly from retaining him. But they also have to address the fact that they also stand to lose Ian Happ, Carson Kelly, Tyrone Taylor, and Michael Conforto, not to mention most of their pitching staff, once the free-agent market officially opens. With so much personnel movement on the horizon, it may be impossible to budget for a new Suzuki contract.

That is, it would only be impossible if re-signing him isn't the front office's top priority. And while the pitching staff overhaul is sorely needed, the gains Suzuki has made -- especially on the defensive side of the ball, earning him a nod as a Gold Glove finalist -- in recent seasons demand the Cubs' full attention over the next few weeks.

Seiya Suzuki's defensive evolution makes him too valuable for Cubs to let go

Perhaps my projection of $150 million (using historical comps) was a little overzealous, but Suzuki is going to push for a nine-figure deal even after the Cubs inevitably slap him with a qualifying offer. He just continues to get better year in and year out, with 2026 marking the peak of his MLB career thus far.

That obviously includes his brilliant work at the plate, which featured a .270/.368/.473 slash line, 26 home runs, 86 RBIs, and a 134 wRC+. All of those marks (besides on-base percentage) were the second-best of his career behind his 2024 or 2025 seasons, but he also accrued 4.6 fWAR in 2026, by far a career high.

How did he make such a big leap in the WAR department while remaining relatively consistent at the plate? By finally living up to the reputation he built in Japan; remember, as a member of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, he had previously won five NPB Gold Gloves Awards.

After years of posting weak or outright bad defensive metrics in right field, Suzuki came alive for the Cubs this season. Perhaps motivated by his transition to designated hitter due to the arrival of Kyle Tucker in 2025 or the historic brilliance on the man lining up next to him in center field, Suzuki contributed career-best marks in Outs Above Average (+5), Fielding Run Value (+8), and Defensive Runs Saved (+14). For reference, each of those totals were better than the work that four-time Gold Glover Ian Happ did in left field this year.

Even though he's already 32 and surely closer to the end of his prime than the beginning of it, there's something to be said for a player who continues to evolve at the latter stages of his career. Suzuki is simply too good at too many things to let him walk away for nothing more than some qualifying-offer-based draft compensation.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow