Seiya Suzuki Free Agency Report Could Shake Up Cubs, AL East

It's far too early to be thinking about the upcoming offseason with the 2026 Major League Baseball playoffs beginning on Tuesday. Wild-card rounds across the league kicked off on Tuesday and we still have a few weeks of real baseball before the transactions of the offseason, and the collective bargaining agreement, completely take over headlines across the league.

Still, an interesting report already has floated that could impact one of the clubs in the playoffs right now and one of the most difficult divisions in baseball. The Athletic's Mitch Bannon reported that the Toronto Blue Jays are expected to pursue Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki this winter in free agency.

"Two winters ago, the Jays were in a similar position, needing to inject power after a dreadful 2024," Bannon wrote. "Their splashiest move was signing Anthony Santander to a five-year contract that hasn’t worked out at all. 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. 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."

Early Free Agency Buzz Is Surfacing

Sep 24, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki (27) hits a home run during the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If this were to happen, it would completely shake things up with the Cubs, as well as the American League East in general.

The Cubs are in the playoffs right now and will face the San Diego Padres in a wild-card series with the winner advancing to face off against the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series. Suzuki is a major reason why the Cubs are where they are. He had the finest season of his career in 2026. He slashed .270/.368/.473 with an .841 OPS, 26 home runs, 86 RBIs, 31 doubles and racked up 5.1 wins above replacement. He set a new career high with his 5.1 wins above replacement.

If the Cubs lose him, they would immediately fall further behind the Brewers in the National League Central.

On the other hand, let's not forget that the Blue Jays were a 94-win team in 2025 that made it all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. Their biggest issues in 2026 were injuries and a lack of power. It doesn't help that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit just nine long balls in the campaign. If they could get a bat like Suzuki, that's an immediate solution. All of a sudden, they would look much more like a club that could contend and maybe even get back to their 2025 level.

It's early to be thinking about free agency, but this is the type of thing that would shake things up across the league.

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