Local confirmation of insane Seiya Suzuki rumor sheds Cubs' front office in terrible light

Hand up: When a national reporter floated the idea that Seiya Suzuki was on the trade market this offseason, I was annoyed. I was annoyed in the sense that a Chicago Cubs fanbase willing to use any ammunition to launch an attack against Jed Hoyer's front office would fall for a national reporter seemingly getting their information crossed up. Rightfully, my counterpart destroyed any logical argument the Cubs would have for moving Suzuki.

I thought that was the end of it.

We could move on from the nonsensical idea of the Cubs shopping Suzuki. That is until Sahadev Sharma provided local confirmation of there being a scenario where Suzuki is traded. The latest from The Athletic:

There have been rumors that the Cubs would be willing to trade Seiya Suzuki, but that only appears to be an option if Bellinger isn’t moved. For now, there seems to be real interest in Bellinger, which makes a Suzuki trade unlikely.

There shouldn't be any scenario where trading Suzuki this offseason. The idea of the Cubs moving Cody Bellinger is one thing but there is a path where a Bellinger trade can still set the stage for a successful offseason. That path doesn't seem available in a scenario where the Cubs are trading their best offensive hitter.

Any suggestion of the Cubs trading Suzuki this offseason reeks of a front office more concerned about their bottom line on a general ledger than wins on a baseball field.

Fortunately for the Cubs, it does seem that Bellinger will be moved. Juan Soto's historic deal with the New York Mets seems to have put the New York Yankees at the center of trade talks for Bellinger.

The silver lining to Sharma's report is that it seems to have been written before Soto's signing with the Mets was first reported. Soto's signing was always believed to be a precursor to Bellinger's being traded. With Soto reaching his decision on Sunday night, a Bellinger trade will be the focus of the Winter Meetings. Hopefully, this will end the gymnastics of explaining why there isn't a scenario where trading Suzuki doesn't make sense.