Corner Outfield Conundrum: What to Do with Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki

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On May 13, 2017, Ian Happ (the ninth overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft) homered in his debut with the Cubs, the only team he has ever known. There are only eight players who made their debut before Happ and are still with the same team. That list is almost entirely future Hall of Famers or multi-time All Stars: Aaron Judge, Byron Buxton, José Ramírez, Jose Altuve, Mike Trout, Salvador Perez, Aaron Nola, and (somehow) Kyle Freeland. Happ could have become a free agent after the 2023 season, but before that, he signed a three-year deal. After taking on a Ben Zobrist-esque utility role for the first few seasons of his career, he settled into left field in 2022 and won four consecutive Gold Gloves. Now, however, his future with the team is uncertain agaio, and while there is no apparent heir to left field, there are some concerns that make the sentimental move (bringing him back) far from a clear-cut decision.

On the other side of Pete Crow-Armstrong, there's another big decision to make. Seiya Suzuki is also an impending free agent. The Cubs signed Suzuki ahead of the 2022 season. The slugger has accumulated 15.7 fWAR and launched 113 home runs over his five years with the club. Although his offensive game can be summarized by scorching hot streaks mixed with ice-cold slumps, he's been one of the best overall hitters they’ve had in the middle of their lineup and a defining face of this competitive era.

Now, the Cubs are in a predicament. After the World Series, the uncertainty of next season will be on full display. Free agency will begin, albeit under a dark cloud of coming labor strife. That might make it easier for teams to retain certain players, especially if those players haven’t been with another organization before. Before we get into the case for and against reuniting with Happ and Suzuki, it's important to note that the Cubs don't have a confidence-inspiring outfield prospect knocking on the door of the majors. Their top prospect, Josiah Hartshorn, is 19; 2025 first-round pick Ethan Conrad dealt with injuries and hit .245 in A-ball; and Kane Kepley struggled after his promotion to Double-A. Formerly highly touted, Kevin Alcantara had a good-not-great third season at Triple-A Iowa and saw his stock plummet. The answer probably isn’t in their organization, unless you view Matt Shaw as an everyday outfielder, so the Cubs will need to make some moves to fill their outfield.

The Case For Ian Happ

Speaking of Shaw, wouldn’t he make a great platoon partner for Happ in left field? He only played a handful of innings in left this season, but he still spent most of his time in the outfield, after the Alex Bregman signing left him without a clear position. His .841 OPS against southpaws pairs nicely with Happ’s .816 OPS versus righties, which tied for the second-highest mark of his career. For this to happen, the Cubs would need to give Happ an offer he feels good about, but more importantly, Happ would need to understand that he is coming back as a platoon player, and he would need to earn his way back into the lineup against left-handed starters. At this point in his career, the 32-year-old might be thrilled to take a two-year deal to stay with the only club he has ever known, but how smart is it for the Cubs? Happ had the second-highest WAR of any left fielder entering free agency, behind only Randy Arozarena. Also 32, Arozarena will enter the winter as the top bat in this free agency class. The thought of the more powerful Arozarena in the outfield seems nice, but would the Cubs meet an asking price that could surpass $100 million—especially when they can probably entice Happ with a smaller one?

As I mentioned earlier, they have the platoon partner in Shaw, so maybe they shouldn’t overthink this. Even if Arozarena is their dream target, if they signed him, they would have four players locked up on big deals through their mid-30s. Happ should be available without the long-term commitment.

The Case Against Ian Happ

It’s hard to make the case against reunion due to the lack of appealing alternatives, but Happ is still a player who's striking out in over a third of his at-bats against lefties and approaching his mid-30s. After his 3.7-fWAR season in 2024, he's declined steadily. His 2.6 fWAR this season was the lowest he's posted since 2021. With the Cubs’ pitching needs being priority No. 1, they might not want to spend (at least) $15 million per season on a platoon bat. With so much swing and miss in their lineup already, and the infield starters firmly entrenched, it could make more sense to go out and get someone like Steven Kwan, whom the Guardians are in a position to flip. That potential move (if it's even possible) comes with its own downsides, but Happ's seem awfully intimidating.

The Case For Seiya Suzuki

Looking at this player comparison chart, is it really clear that Arozarena is the top outfield bat on the market? There's a case that it's actually Suzuki.

Given Arozarena’s questionable defense, Suzuki is arguably the better player, even though Arozarena has the slightly better offensive numbers and can steal bases (77 since 2024). Swapping Suzuki with Arozarena could be a lateral move, for even more money. There's not a clear way to improve in right field, should they move on from Suzuki, whose 3.8 fWAR in 2026 was the second-highest in baseball among right fielders.

The main reason to keep him, then, is that letting him walk would almost guarantee the Cubs have a worse outfield going into 2027. Again, Shaw is the wild card. Jed Hoyer might think the former first-round pick deserves a starting role again, and it does make sense to think his bat will improve if he can have a consistent position. He was solid in right, where he played the bulk of his games in 2026, but expecting an offensive output on par with Suzuki's would be foolish. Suzuki's .955 OPS against lefties was the highest on the team among qualified players, and he spent the bulk of his time hitting in the cleanup spot. As good as Shaw is against lefties, he doesn't have the pop to be a middle-of-the-order hitter. It's also not clear whether he can stay healthy under the demands of regular duty, particularly as an undersized outfielder.

The Case Against Seiya Suzuki

The Cubs will have Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman through age 36, and a Suzuki contract would give them another guy under contract through the same age. If the Cubs were a true World Series contender going into 2027, it would be worth it to bring Suzuki back for whatever contract he wants and deal with the back-end years when the time comes. But this was a team that was quickly dismissed from the 2026 postseason. They're set to lose four starting pitchers for next season, and the bullpen is still a glaring weakness. This Cubs' roster is not a Seiya Suzuki away from being championship-caliber. The Brewers, who were practically in another league from Chicago this year, are unlikely to come back to the pack. They're younger than the Cubs; their farm system is better; and they'll have more resources for next year after the windfall of what looks likely to be a World Series championship.

So, what should the Cubs do? They're going to miss whoever they don’t bring back, considering the lack of high-end free agents and no top prospect looming in the upper minors. The qualifying offer will be worth over $23 million, which might make the team pause before extending one to Happ, and Suzuki will turn his down in a blink. It feels unlikely that the Cubs would then spend enough to retain Suzuki; they'll need to direct most of their spending this winter to pitchers.

That could make re-signing Happ the best solution. Something along the lines of two years and $36 million would still leave the Cubs the wiggle room they need elsewhere. Shaw can platoon with him, or they can consider bringing back Tyrone Taylor, who had an .890 OPS after joining the Cubs. This would mean that Seiya Suzuki has played his last game as a Cub. As sad as that is, the contract is still a major win for the Cubs. He became one of the best NPB signings of all time, and helped the team that used to give regular playing time to guys like Rafael Ortega and Patrick Wisdom turn back into a playoff contender. On the way out, he'll earn the Cubs a draft pick in 2027, too. Then, the team will have to figure out what to do about the rest of its outfield picture.