The Orioles should be aggressively pursuing this Chicago Cubs outfielder

It’s been well discussed at this point how the Baltimore Orioles are in the market for a right-handed hitting outfielder. Free agents Teoscar Hernandez, Tyler O’Neill, and even Jurickson Profar have been endlessly mentioned as possible targets, but it appears that a new potential target is available in Chicago Cubs' outfielder Seiya Suzuki.

The Orioles should absolutely be deep in trade discussions for Suzuki.

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Cubs are not just testing the waters to see what Seiya Suzuki could bring back in a trade, but they are “determined” to trade either Suzuki or Cody Bellinger and use the potential savings to upgrade other parts of the roster. If the Cubs view either of these veterans as expendable due to a strong belief in the young outfield core currently on the 40-man roster, then this could be a prime situation for the Orioles to swoop in.

The 30-year-old Suzuki just wrapped up his third season with the Cubs since coming over from Japan and has put up progressively better numbers each season. Suzuki hit 14 home runs with a 118 wRC+ in 2022, following that up with 20 home runs and a 128 wRC+ in 2023 and finally 21 home runs and a 138 wRC+ this season. Early Steamer projections have Suzuki had 23 home runs in 2025 with a 121 wRC+.

His 27% strikeout rate looks a bit rough on the surface, but Suzuki ranks in the 94th percentile in chase rate among major leaguers and 50th percentile in whiff rate, meaning he’s a patient hitter who doesn’t expand the zone and just needs to work on making contact on pitches in the zone. You know what organization is really good at helping hitters achieve that goal? The Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles need to take advantage of the Cubs' insistence on lowering payroll

Suzuki’s near 50% hard-hit rate, high-end exit velocities, and barrel rates would all fit perfectly in the Orioles lineup, and he even has the speed to cause a bit of havoc on the basepaths. After swiping a total of 15 bases through his first two years here in the States, Suzuki stole 16 bags in 2024.

What about his defense? It’s not great, but depending on which source you use, he’s going to give you similar defense to what Orioles fans have seen with Anthony Santander the last few years. He won’t be winning a Gold Glove any time soon, but he’s not a black hole in right field. What he lacks defensively, he more than makes up for with the bat.

Suzuki is under team control for the next two seasons at $18 million per season. For the production he provides with the bat, it’s a fantastic price tag. It’s also not high enough to where Chicago would accept lesser prospects from another team in exchange for said team eating Suzuki’s contract, but agreeing to take on most or all of his remaining deal wouldn’t hurt at all. The Orioles have reportedly been in on most of the top free agents in this year’s class, appearing to confirm that ownership is indeed willing to spend big this winter.

Taking on less than $40 million for the right-handed hitting outfielder you’re coveting shouldn’t be an issue at all, especially considering the cost to bring Anthony Santander back or to outbid the Dodgers for Teoscar Hernandez will be much, much higher. Even Tyler O’Neill is projected to get a two-year deal at $42 million according to MLB Trade Rumors, and asking him to stay healthy while keeping his strikeout rate below 30% would take a true miracle.

Many teams will be in touch with the Cubs to try and land Seiya Suzuki this winter now that it’s known he’s available, and the Orioles have already strongly stated their unwillingness to part with their top prospects in a trade, but the Orioles should be aggressive here. There’s also Suzuki’s no-trade clause to consider, but for the sake of conversation, let’s assume he’s cool with being traded to a young, exciting team firmly in their championship window.

Heston Kjerstad was starting to show real signs of settling in before his concussion this year. If he can take that much-anticipated step forward in 2025 while playing alongside Suzuki, the duo will not only replace the production lost by Santander’s departure, but potentially take Baltimore’s lineup to another level.

With the Juan Soto decision expected to come any day now and the winter meetings beginning on Monday, it will be worth closely monitoring the Suzuki/Bellinger situation in Chicago.