The Chicago Cubs could potentially consider waiving star right fielder Seiya Suzuki's no-trade clause this offseason if the situation presents itself. While Suzuki's trade rumors have been muted, of late, there seems to be no complete shutdown of a future deal taking place, according to Suzuki's agent Joel Wolfe.
It's worth noting that Wolfe emphasized Suzuki's desire to play for the Cubs long-term, but he doesn't wish to be limited to the DH spot as he was for much of last season. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
Cubs president Jed Hoyer is reportedly “very communicative & told him which teams Cubs talk to,” per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune.
“I don't think he wants to trade Seiya but there may be a scenario where he feels he has a deal he can't say no to.”
Suzuki batted .283 last year in Chicago, as the team finished with a 83-79 record and runner-up in the NL Central. The Cubs have also floated the idea of shopping Cody Bellinger, but they may have a tougher time finding a suitable package to move on from him since he's coming off a down year of production.
Cubs' Seiya Suzuki has significant value on the trade market
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Suzuki made 59 of his 131 starts as the Cubs' DH, which is something that he'd certainly like to see change in 2025.
“If he was being posted in Japan and teams were presenting to him their opportunities and they said, ‘You could come here and be our full-time DH,’ I don’t think he would have signed with that team,” Wolfe said. “Seiya was a great defender in Japan, so it’s not a compliment to him being a DH.”
The Cubs have a busy offseason ahead, and the franchise needs to be very cautious with how it approaches the situations with Bellinger and Suzuki.
