The Chicago Cubs have lost eight of their last 11 games overall. The Cubs have continually struggled this season, and their chances to make the playoffs are slowly slipping away.
While the season is becoming disappointing, the Cubs could shake up their lineup in the hope of turning it around. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has a perfect plan for the Cubs.
“Quality right-handed bats will have immense value at the trade deadline. And the Chicago Cubs, a team arguably in need of a shakeup, feature a righty hitter other teams might covet: Right fielder Seiya Suzuki,” Rosenthal wrote.
There was some interest in Suzuki last season, but the Cubs decided to keep him. He is not having the best year, but still a valuable bat. Suzuki is hitting .247 with a .333 on-base percentage. He has nine home runs and 22 RBIs while scoring 29 times. While his numbers are slightly down, he is still a valuable bat. Further, he is in the last season of his contract.
“Perhaps Suzuki could bring back a starting pitcher who also is a potential free agent, helping the club fill a more dire need. If the Cubs keep Suzuki and he departs as a free agent, they would receive only a draft pick as compensation, assuming they made him a qualifying offer. A trade could yield considerably more value, particularly if the Cubs included cash to pay down part of Suzuki’s remaining salary, which at the deadline will be less than $6 million,” Rosenthal added.
The Cubs need to make a change to the lineup, and moving Suzuki could be part of that. The Cubs are 34-34 on the season, placing them in fourth place in the NL Central. They conclude their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday, looking to avoid being swept.
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