The Chicago Cubs have made one blockbuster shuffle this offseason and it might lead to another.
The Cubs replaced former Most Valuable Player Award winner Cody Bellinger by trading him away to the New York Yankees while bringing in slugger Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. That move cleared some 2025 payroll off of their books and left slugger Seiya Suzuki as a backup outfield option or primary designated hitter.
Suzuki is entering the fourth season of a five-year, $85 million contract with the Cubs and, given the team’s interest in clearing payroll, that might be too much to pay for a player without an everyday defensive role. He could be on the trade block and Chris Cotillo of MassLive noted that he’s on a “limited list” of options for the Boston Red Sox as they seek a right-handed power bat for their order.
But what would it cost for the Red Sox to land Suzuki? Jackson Roberts of On SI proposed a three-player deal that would send prospects Miguel Bleis and Richard Fitts to the Cubs in exchange for him.
“There are currently no righties on the Red Sox roster who hit more than 15 home runs last season, which won’t fly at any ballpark, let alone Fenway Park, which is one of the best places in the game for righties to hit,” Roberts wrote. “Suzuki, who had a fantastic 139 OPS+ in 132 games last season, would make for a great addition to the Boston lineup.”
With Suzuki as a potential surplus player on the Cubs roster, the team could be interested in fortifying their farm system by moving him. That would give the Cubs some extra ammo for a potential deadline deal if they find themselves in real playoff contention next season.
Bleis and Fitts are also both ranked within the top-10 for the Red Sox farm system and might find themselves on a big-league roster sooner rather than later.
“Bleis, 20, would have been untouchable in talks like these a while back, but he had a down year in 2024, which should allow the Red Sox to move on from him rather than letting go of rising star Jhostynxon Garcia. And Bleis still has a ton of upside, which should intrigue Chicago,” Roberts added. “Meanwhile, Fitts could become the fifth starter in Chicago by midseason if he continues to pitch the way he did in his four games with the Red Sox last year.”
It’s difficult to pinpoint the likelihood of a deal like this crossing the finish line without some clear direction from the Cubs. Shuffling Bellinger for Tucker, who will be a free agent next year, suggested the team expects to make the playoffs in 2025 and might want to free up some additional salary for another win-now addition. But their lack of significant moves since then sends a different message.
If they have more of an eye toward the future, dealing Suzuki for a pair of promising Red Sox prospects could be in the cards.
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