A $109.9 Million Projection: Cubs Extend Seiya Suzuki Qualifying Offer, but Will It Take That Much to Keep Him?

Offer Sets a November Deadline

The Cubs were among eight teams to extend qualifying offers to impending free agents on Monday. Suzuki has until Nov. 17 to decide whether to take the one-year, $23.15 million deal.

The qualifying offer is the formal first step for teams seeking a compensatory draft pick if they lose a player in free agency. Players rarely accept, and Suzuki is widely expected to decline and explore the market.

Last offseason, Shota Imanaga stood out by accepting the Cubs’ one-year, $22.05 million offer. He is set to become a free agent again, and Chicago did not make him another qualifying offer.

Suzuki Delivered Strong Production

Suzuki ranked third among Cubs players in both bWAR, at 5.8, and fWAR, at 4.5, this past season. He hit .270/.368/.473, posted an .841 OPS, and recorded 26 home runs and 96 RBI.

Contract Could Test Cubs’ Priorities

Spotrac projects Suzuki’s value at about four years and $109.9 million, with an average annual value of $27.5 million. That would rank him as MLB’s second-highest-paid designated hitter, behind Kyle Schwarber, and its 26th-highest-paid player overall.

Suzuki’s original Cubs contract, signed in 2022, was for five years and $85 million. Chicago gave Alex Bregman a five-year, $175 million deal last offseason, so the projected Suzuki contract is not beyond the club’s demonstrated spending level. The key question is whether Chicago will spend that much to keep Suzuki or direct its money toward top-tier pitching, an area the team sorely missed during the 2026 season.