The Chicago Cubs already face serious early competition for outfielder Seiya Suzuki, with the Toronto Blue Jays expected to pursue him once free agency opens.
A league source told The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon that Toronto plans to target the 32-year-old after his contract expires.
“This offseason, said a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss offseason plans, the Jays are expected to pursue Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki,” Bannon wrote. “His 26 homers would’ve ranked second on the Jays this year and his .841 OPS would’ve led all qualified Jays by nearly 80 points.”
Suzuki finished the 2026 regular season with a .270 batting average, 26 home runs and 86 RBIs in 143 games. He posted a .368 on-base percentage, a .473 slugging percentage and a 134 wRC+.
Those numbers produced a career-high 5.1 bWAR, according to Baseball-Reference. His walk rate reached 12.8 percent, the highest of his five major-league seasons.
Across those five years with Chicago, Suzuki has hit .269 with 113 home runs and a 128 wRC+. He has recorded at least 20 home runs and a wRC+ of 123 or higher in each of the past four seasons.
The Blue Jays finished 79-83 and fifth in the American League East after reaching Game 7 of the World Series in 2025. Their offense ranked last in the majors with 152 home runs and 648 runs scored.
Toronto’s team OPS sat at .692. Adding a proven middle-of-the-order bat is viewed as a priority after that regression.
Suzuki’s right-handed power and plate discipline match the profile the Blue Jays lacked. His production would have stood out sharply in a lineup that finished near the bottom of the league in several key categories.
The Cubs, meanwhile, were swept by the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card Series, losing by a combined score of 12-1. Their season ended Wednesday, while non-playoff clubs have already begun mapping winter plans.
President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said the bulk of Chicago’s offseason attention will go toward pitching.
“We’re leaning on our defense too heavily, and the overall quality of the pitching has to improve,” Hoyer said. “It’s safe to say that the biggest part of our focus going into the offseason is going to be on pitching.”
Hoyer also acknowledged the club cannot keep its entire free-agent group.
“We can’t retain everyone. The team’s going to look and feel different next year. … We do have a lot of good players that are going to be free agents and we’ll be in touch.”
Suzuki is completing a five-year, $85 million contract he signed before the 2022 season. He is widely expected to decline a qualifying offer and test the open market.
The position-player free-agent class is considered thin, which has elevated interest in established hitters. Clubs also appear motivated to complete major moves before a potential work stoppage tied to Dec. 1.
Chicago has internal options in the outfield, but none are viewed as ready replacements for Suzuki’s production. Losing him without a clear successor would leave a noticeable gap in a lineup that relied on his bat the past two seasons.
The Blue Jays’ early interest underscores the uphill path the Cubs face if they hope to retain him. Other clubs are expected to join the pursuit once the market fully opens.
