Should the Cubs consider trading Seiya Suzuki?
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What sparked the debate about trading Seiya Suzuki?
Rahimi Harris and Grody. Middays 10 to 2 on 104.3 The Score. Cubs trail by a run. Here's the pitch. Suzuki drives one in the air. Deep left field. It's got a chance. Grand slam home run. Seiya Suzuki with a granny.
That was Pat Hughes on the call on the Northwestern Medicine Cubs radio network. The grand slam by Seiya Suzuki that really got the scoring broken open for the Cubs after their win over the Colorado Rockies yesterday. This is Rahimi Harrison-Grody on 104.3 The Score. Just when things start to go right for Seah, we've seen a couple of really good hits. I think he has had a better to the eye at least few weeks. Ken Rosenthal, on foul territory yesterday, pitched this trade idea for the Cubs.
Seah Suzuki, because he is a right-handed hitter, has particular value in today's game because... Basically, you cannot find quality right-handed hitters. It's a real problem. And I have a stat in the story today. Going into yesterday's play, the OPS for all right-handed hitters in Major League Baseball was 696. That would be the lowest since 1992. So Suzuki would have value in that sense. Teams covet right-handed hitters. And the Cubs... because of the situation they're in, not just with the number of potential free agents, but the team in general, they've fallen apart. So they're a team that probably will look to shake it up. You remember at one time they were 27 and 12, since then they're seven and 22.
At one time when they were 27 and 12, they led the majors in runs per game. Right now, since that time in this seven and 22 stretch, They're next to last ahead of only the Padres. You see the numbers right there. It's incredible how they've fallen. They're scoring almost two and a half runs per game fewer than they were when they were hot. I don't know how to explain this, but this is a team that back at 500 now, and I imagine at some point they're going to need to make some difficult decisions. Suzuki could be one of them. Now, he has a no-trade clause, but at the same time, players in their free agent years generally will be open to waiving their no-trade clauses because it takes off the qualifying offer.
And that would be enticing.
Okay, I see why he's saying it, and Ken Rosenthal is the best at explaining things. But what do you want? For the Cubs to lose every game 1-0 then? You have to retain some of your hitting. I don't know what to do about this. I think the bigger illustration here, Mark and Marshall, is the fact that this is triage. Where essentially you're injured in multiple places and you have to decide what is bleeding the most. And you stop that first knowing that you might have to hurt something else to save the other. And that's where we're at with this. Your pitching is injured. Your hitting is badly underperforming. But I don't necessarily know that trading Seiya Suzuki right now is the answer.
Yeah, this is tough because, one, you have to go with, say, a Suzuki because of the full no-trade clause to somewhere that he would prefer to go.
What value does Seiya Suzuki bring to the Cubs as a right-handed hitter?
I mean, I'm sure he doesn't want to just give away half a season on a team that isn't necessarily a contender.
Yeah, like you're not trading him for Scooble.
Right, right, right. Well, isn't it going to be a contender that's going to be going after him?
It might be just a team that needs a boost and thinks they can contend. That's part of the issue. So many teams now, when you lead up to the trade deadline, like let's say the week and a half, two weeks before the trade deadline, still believe that they're in it based on the fact that there are three, four games maybe out of either a division lead or a wild card spot. But we know only six teams are making it from each league. I think the main stat I want to point to here when you talk about what the Cubs need to do to get better, whether it includes, say, a Suzuki being traded or not, when the Cubs score three runs or fewer this season, They are 6-24.
And that's a big number given they have only played so many games so far this season.
Yeah, it's a big number because this. To realize that, understand, the Cubs have only played 69 games.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What sparked the debate about trading Seiya Suzuki?
0:02–3:23
2
What value does Seiya Suzuki bring to the Cubs as a right-handed hitter?
3:23–7:08
3
How has the Cubs' performance changed this season?
7:08–9:42
4
What challenges does Seiya Suzuki face with his no-trade clause?
9:42–12:48
5
What factors should the Cubs consider before trading Suzuki?
12:48–14:11
6
How does the Cubs' current hitting performance impact their trade decisions?
14:11–14:34
Speakers
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