No, Cody Bellinger's return does not set the stage for a Seiya Suzuki trade

Cody Bellinger's decision to pick up his $27.5MM player option for the 2025 season seems to have solidified the core pieces of the Chicago Cubs' position-player side of the roster.

As was the case near the end of the 2024 season, it would seem that the Cubs will be rolling out a starting outfield that consists of Ian Happ in left field, Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field, and Cody Bellinger in right field. With the outfield set, Seiya Suzuki seems primed to serve primarily as the Cubs' designated hitter in 2025.

When discussing the designated hitter spot in the Cubs' lineup, it has become somewhat of a conundrum. A conundrum in the sense that many were dismayed to see Christopher Morel as the team's designated hitter given Morel's preference to play in the field. Beyond that, Morel's offense seemed to regress when he was serving as the Cubs' designated hitter.

That wasn't the case for Suzuki last season.

In 262 plate appearances as the Cubs' designated hitter last season, Suzuki slashed .298/.385/.461/.846/140wRC+ with 8 home runs. In other words, Suzuki as the team's designated hitter last season is exactly what Cubs fans have been begging to see from the designated hitter's spot in the team's starting lineup.

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Considering the success that Suzuki had as the team's designated hitter last season, it makes little sense for that to be the reason why the Cubs should entertain the idea of trading the Silver Slugger finalist this offseason. And even in that alternate universe where the Cubs' front office is considering such a misguided idea, Suzuki has a full no-trade clause in his contract.

The Cubs will need to be creative with how they look to improve their Major League roster this season and that could lead to a surprising trade. That surprising trade is more likely to include an intriguing prospect such as Owen Caissie than it is to include, objectively, the Cubs' best offensive player.