Agent Says Seiya Suzuki Would Consider Waiving NTC Under Right Circumstances

Agent Joel Wolfe addressed the media at the Winter Meetings in Dallas Tuesday afternoon, with most of the questions concerning pitching phenom Rōki Sasaki. But Wolfe has multiple Japanese clients, one of whom happens to be embroiled in rumors as the Cubs seek to retool a team that has become a real chore to watch. While Seiya Suzuki is arguably the Cubs’ best hitter, his inexplicably poor defense in right field relegated him almost exclusively to DH late in the season.

Of his last 37 games in right field, only one came in right field. For a Cubs team that needs to find ways to get a positionally-limited prospect or two a little playing time in 2025, having the DH spot locked up is suboptimal. At the same time, Suzuki is not a guy you get rid of when you still need to add offense in a meaningful way. Then there’s the matter of his full no-trade clause, though it sounds like that may not be an issue.

“[Hoyer] told me what teams they’ve been talking to,” Wolfe said. “I don’t think he wants to trade Seiya, but there may be a scenario where he feels like he has a deal that he can’t say no to. So he’s talked to us about what teams Seiya would consider. And it’s a small universe of where Seiya would consider going.

“Seiya is a very strongly opinionated guy. So I could see where that might happen, but it didn’t sound like it was necessarily likely.”

The Cubs are not determined to move Suzuki as an earlier report suggested, though they have an obligation to listen to offers and to keep the lines of communication open with a player who can reject any deal if he so chooses. And it certainly sounds like there are multiple teams checking in with them. But what if the Cubs aren’t the more proactive party here?

“I think that if he was being posted in Japan and teams were presenting to them 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 added.

That sounds like either a veiled threat or perhaps just an acknowledgment that player and agent have discussed the possibility of seeking greener pastures. It’s certainly not a glowing endorsement of the Cubs’ decision last year to take Suzuki out of the field, even though his .298/.385/.461 slash with a 140 wRC+ as a DH was better than he put up in right field. Not a huge difference, but still.

Even though I still think the odds are very slim that a deal gets done, I could see it happening as part of several moving pieces that would see the Cubs deal Cody Bellinger and acquire Kyle Tucker from the Astros. Those could be in the same deal if the Cubs eat a good bit of money, or they could be two separate transactions. Either way, the Cubs would be replacing Suzuki with a younger player who bats from the left side and plays better defense in right.

The two have identical 139 career wRC+ marks, but Tucker’s .242 ISO is significantly better than Suzuki’s .199 over three seasons in Chicago. It’s a little funny that the big knock on Suzuki is his spotty health history, yet Tucker just missed half of this past season with a lower-leg injury that required a stint on the 60-day IL. Then again, Tucker averaged 149 games over the three previous seasons while Suzuki has averaged only 127 since coming stateside.

Effectively swapping out Suzuki (and Bellinger) for Tucker would create room at DH to accommodate either Owen Caissie, who could also be part of the outfield mix, or Moises Ballesteros. Michael Busch would remain the everyday first baseman and could be spelled by Mo Baller on occasion as well. It’s really easy when you’re just laying your thoughts out on paper.

The truth of the matter is that this series of moves requires at least three teams, several prospects, an additional big-league player or three, and probably a good bit of money. It’s the furthest thing in the world from simple just to get most trades off the ground, let alone multiple deals including All-Stars whose salaries don’t match up. The Cubs would need to pull off at least one huge deal and then receive a Godfather offer for Suzuki, which doesn’t seem terribly likely.

So is there a chance? Sure, but navigating all those dynamics makes it a very complicated proposition.