The Chicago Cubs are in agreement with Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki on a five-year, $85 million deal, pending a physical, sources told The Athletic on Wednesday. Suzuki will reportedly get a full no-trade clause in the deal.
Suzuki immediately helps raise the profile of the retooling Cubs, who went 71-91 last season. The team traded away most of its core at last year’s trade deadline but added Marcus Stroman prior to the lockout. With the Pirates and Reds on a downswing, Suzuki certainly bolsters the Cubs’ chances against the Brewers and Cardinals in the NL Central.
Arguably the best all-around player in Nippon Professional Baseball, Suzuki broke in with the Hiroshima Carp as a 19-year-old in 2013. He had a .315/.414/.570 line with 182 homers in nine seasons with the Carp.
Hiroshima posted Suzuki’s rights to major-league teams on Nov. 22, after what was perhaps the best season of his career — Suzuki, 27, hit 38 home runs with a 1.069 OPS in 2021.
