It’s been a busy offseason for the Chicago Cubs, and from the sound of it, that’s not going to change.
Jed Hoyer laid out his plan for the remainder of the winter, unsurprisingly stating they are continuing to search for pitching upgrades since that was a clear objective of theirs when this past campaign ended.
What type of pitcher they could go after is unclear.
Discussions for their rumored trade target Jesus Luzardo have been classified as “dead,” but they were able to get a meeting with Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki who would solve plenty of issues for them when it comes to the combination of upside and affordable team control.
Bullpen is also something that is on the docket.
While the Cubs do have more money to spend because they shipped out Cody Bellinger and his contract, it’s unlikely they will go after a high-profile reliever like Tanner Scott.
Making yet another trade could be something they do to accomplish this goal, and based on what Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported, a third blockbuster could be on the horizon.
“… the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are exploring a number of intriguing right-handed hitting alternatives. The potential options, according to sources briefed on the team’s discussions, include infielder Ha-Seong Kim in free agency and Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki, Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. and others in trade,” he reported.
The Seiya Suzuki rumors just won’t go away.
When looking for a right fielder, just about every club in Major League Baseball would probably like to have the Japanese slugger on their roster based on his ascending profile at the plate and relatively team-friendly deal.
That’s why it shouldn’t come as a shock the Los Angeles Dodgers would throw his name out as a player they are considering making a move to acquire.
But that doesn’t mean Chicago is looking to deal him.
After acquiring Kyle Tucker and likely slotting him into right field going forward, that does create some questions about how Suzuki fits into this puzzle since he doesn’t want to be a primary designated hitter and Ian Happ is a Gold Glover in left.
Doing some sort of platoon in right with Tucker seems unlikely since he is now their best player and it would be crazy not to have him in the lineup when he’s healthy.
The Dodgers likely know about the logjam, which is one of the reasons why they’ve circled Suzuki as an option. But with the Cubs looking to contend in 2025, shipping out one of their best hitters doesn’t seem like the smartest thing to do.
That is unless the return package is too great to turn down.
Rumors could continue to intensify if Los Angeles is serious about getting something done.
