As the regular season winds down, the Boston Red Sox have a familiar problem: not enough right-handed impact in a lineup built around young, mostly left-handed outfielders. That is why Chicago Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki is emerging as one of the more intriguing free-agent targets this winter.
Suzuki, 32, is finishing the final year of a five-year, $85 million contract he signed with the Cubs in 2022. In 2026 he has hit .270 with a .368 on-base percentage, .473 slugging percentage, 26 home runs, 86 RBIs and 96 runs. It is his strongest all-around season in the majors and has reinforced his reputation as one of the more reliable right-handed bats available.
The Cubs must decide whether to re-sign him or watch him walk.
Outfielder Ian Happ also hits free agency, and Chicago is not expected to keep both veterans at full market price. That opens a path for clubs willing to spend.
A Sept. 7 projection from Cubbies Crib put Suzuki’s next deal in the $150 million range. The site used New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger’s five-year, $162.5 million contract as the closest recent comparison by age and production, arguing that a $150 million threshold is a lot more reasonable than most fans realize.
That figure would more than double the guarantee Suzuki received four years ago.
Boston has reasons to consider paying it. The Red Sox outfield is crowded with left-handed options in Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony, plus switch-hitter Ceddanne Rafaela in center. Adding another lefty bat would worsen an already lopsided lineup.
Suzuki would give Boston a proven middle-of-the-order presence from the right side without forcing a long-term commitment to a declining veteran.
Fenway Park also fits his profile. The Green Monster rewards right-handed hitters who can drive the ball to left, and Suzuki has shown enough plate discipline to take walks when pitchers nibble. He is not a plus defender, but he has improved in right field this year and can slide to designated hitter when needed — a useful option if Boston wants to keep its younger outfielders on the grass.
The fit is not perfect. Suzuki will turn 33 next August, and a qualifying offer from the Cubs would cost the signing team a draft pick. Boston already has payroll decisions to make around established veterans and a developing core.
Still, few free agent bats offer Suzuki’s combination of consistency, on-base skill and right-handed power.
If the Red Sox want to change the shape of their lineup rather than simply add another similar piece, poaching Suzuki from the Cubs would be one of the clearest ways to do it.
The market will decide the price. Cubbies Crib’s projection suggests it will not be cheap.
