Trading Seiya Suzuki would be a massive mistake by the Chicago Cubs

After back-to-back 83-win seasons, the Chicago Cubs need to shake things up in order to improve their ball club and build a real contender. The door is open in the NL Central, with the Cardinals taking a step back, the Brewers losing star shortstop Willy Adames, and the Pirates and Reds remaining on the periphery.

The Cubs have largely sat out the free-agent market to this point, and instead have been solely focused on trades to improve the team, leaving fans feeling anxious and frustrated as Chicago's top brass continues to pinch pennies.

As a whole, the Cubs lineup is filled with solid players, however, there are few difference makers especially when it comes to offensive performance. That's why the recent Seiya Suzuki trade rumors are baffling.

The lineup needs a big bat at the heart of it to truly come to life. The rumored Kyle Tucker trade would go a long way to solving that need. With that said, one big bat alone is not enough.

Seiya Suzuki has been the Cubs' most consistent hitter by far

Last season, Suzuki was the only Cubs regular to post an OPS over .800, finishing the year with an .848 mark. While he's not a true power hitter, his consistent line-drive approach that targets all parts of the field allowed him to be truly productive with the bat.

His final line for the year was .283./.366/.482 with 21 homers which were good for a wRC+ of 138, or 38% better than a league-average hitter. That wRC+ ranked 16th in the Majors among qualified hitters showing just how valuable Suzuki's overall offensive contributions were.

Since arriving stateside, Suzuki has improved every year at the plate, beginning with a 118 wRC+ in 2022 and improving further with a 128 wRC+ in 2023. With the inconsistent yet productive Cody Bellinger also on the trade block, it would seem as if the Cubs' lineup would take a clear step back by trading Suzuki, even if they're able to come away victorious in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes.

Looking around at the elite NL contenders – the Dodgers and the Mets – all have multiple entries in the top 30 in WRC+. If the Cubs are looking to truly contend, they will need the same in their lineup. Therefore, trading away your best hitter is counterintuitive if contention is the end goal (as it should be).

As one of two players on the roster hailing from Japan, Suzuki along with countryman Shota Imanaga, bring immense value as the Cubs make inroads in the Japanese market. Seemingly every year now there's a new Japanese phenom looking to make the jump to the United States.

This year's Japanese star, twenty-three-year-old starting pitcher Roki Sasaki, could fit on the Cubs like a glove. However, the drama surrounding Suzuki and the trade rumors could seriously hurt Chicago's chances in pursuit of the young ace.

Not only is there the cultural link between Suzuki and Sasaki, those two players also share an agent in Joel Wolfe. Sasaki is coming over as a minor league free-agent because of his age and not completing the requisite service time in Japan, therefore the chase for his services is less about money and more about fit. Leaving a bad taste in Suzuki's mouth could cause Wolfe to advise his other client to avoid settling in the Northside of Chicago.

Furthermore, Japanese culture has a strong emphasis on honor and respect. Having two veteran Japanese stars in the fold helps make the Cubs an attractive destination as younger players may want to play with them and show their respect, while also giving them mentors who can help with the cultural assimilation.

The perception of how the Cubs treat Suzuki is important, and if this situation is botched it could be seen as a disrepsectful act. On a macro-level, that could hurt the Cubs' chances, not just with Sasaki, but with future Japanese free agents down the line.

Bottom line, the Cubs desperately need to build out their lineup and add fearsome hitters, however sacrificing one of the game's best who also brings off-the-field ties of value seems like a very misguided path.