Blue Jays could have a big opening in Seiya Suzuki free agent sweepstakes

With the Toronto Blue Jays' 2026 season now over, they have already been linked to Chicago Cubs pending unrestricted free agent slugger Seiya Suzuki.

The Athletic's Mitch Bannon reported late last month that the Blue Jays are expected to be among the teams that will target Suzuki in free agency this offseason. Now, a notable update has been provided on Suzuki that should create some optimism for the Blue Jays' chances of landing him.

In a recent article for The Athletic, Patrick Mooney reported that the Cubs are not expected to bid with other teams for Suzuki in free agency this winter.

"Suzuki, who was 19th in the league in fWAR, put up some of the best overall numbers of his career, which will probably make him a hot commodity," Mooney wrote. "Considering their pitching deficit, it’s unlikely that the Cubs will get into a bidding war for Suzuki’s services, let alone win one."

Hearing that the Cubs are not expected to bid with other clubs to retain Suzuki is certainly a promising update for the Blue Jays. If this does in fact end up being the case, it would hurt the Cubs' chances of keeping him around. Thus, the Blue Jays' competition to land Suzuki could already be getting a team smaller with this development.

Yet, with Suzuki being one of the best pending unrestricted free agents this year, he will undoubtedly have plenty of suitors if he hits the market. Due to this, the Blue Jays are going to have plenty of competition if they make a serious run at him during the winter.

Why the Blue Jays need to try to sign Suzuki this offseason

When looking at the Blue Jays' current roster, it is absolutely apparent that they could use a star hitter like Suzuki. This is because they could use a boost in both their outfield and at DH. Suzuki works in either of those roles, so he could be a perfect fit on a Toronto club that is looking to turn things around in 2027.

Because of this, the Blue Jays should not be afraid to make a major push for Suzuki this offseason. This remains the case even if they need to get into a bidding war with other teams to land him. He could be the kind of addition that helps Toronto take a notable step back in the right direction next season.

In 143 games this season with Chicago, Suzuki posted 26 home runs, 86 RBI, and a .270 batting average. This was after he had 32 home runs and 103 RBI in 151 games for the Cubs in 2025. With the Blue Jays desperately needing more power, Suzuki should be their primary hitting target this offseason. Let's see if they can land him from here.

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