The New York Yankees won’t want to delay finding a backup plan following Juan Soto’s move to the Mets. With Soto off the market, speculation has started about the Yankees pursuing other outfielders.
They could either sign a top free agent or explore a trade. According to FanSided’s Jacob Mountz, one potential option is Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, who could serve as a backup plan in case of need.
“Seiya Suzuki is on the trading block as the Cubs are motivated sellers,” Mountz wrote. “Last season, Suzuki posted a .283/.366/.482 slash line with 21 home runs in 512 at-bats, despite dealing with an oblique injury that briefly impacted his numbers.
![Seiya Suzuki 'building up his hitting progression' | Yardbarker](https://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_769,w_1369,x_631,y_62/c_fill,f_auto,h_900,q_auto,w_1600/v1/m/a/f/af8b30d97fd938d0f925480a9a628a4181aa70d3/seiya-suzuki-building-his-hitting-progression.jpg)
His .848 OPS ranked 18th among all hitters, outperforming free agents like Santander, Teoscar Hernandez, and Jurickson Profar.” Suzuki is under contract for $19 million per year for the next two seasons before becoming a free agent.
Suzuki presents an affordable and attractive option for the Yankees. The Cubs are likely open to covering part of his contract to facilitate a trade, and acquiring him wouldn’t likely require giving up a significant prospect haul. While not the biggest splash of the offseason, Suzuki would offer the Yankees a cost-effective way to address their outfield needs.