Seiya Suzuki’s free agency comes with a straightforward question: which contender is willing to pay for the bat and live with the rest of the roster math?
One possible fit is Washington, where the rebuild has already started to look a lot more like a real push forward. The Nationals went into the trade deadline ranked first in MLB in runs scored and third in wRC+. Their developmental overhaul has produced gains across the organization, but the biggest jump has come at the major league level, where young players and castaways have both found new life.
Washington’s recent moves tell the story. Curtis Mead was DFA’d by the White Sox, and the Nationals picked him up for almost nothing before turning him into Connelly Early to help address a major need in the future rotation. Even after moving Mead and Luis Garcia Jr., the club still has James Wood and CJ Abrams under control for multiple seasons, just paid a deserving Cade Cavalli, and, per FanGraphs, is set to enter the 2027 season with only $55 million on the books - the lowest projected payroll in baseball.
That doesn’t make the Nationals a small-market team, and it certainly doesn’t mean they’ve been afraid to spend before. With star-level pieces already in place, adding Suzuki and a few more upgrades could be the kind of move that turns a rebuild into something much bigger.
Chicago is the other obvious name in the mix, but the Cubs’ decision would come down to how much they’re willing to stretch their payroll while fixing multiple problems at once.
Projected payroll: $154 million.
The Cubs get a little more expensive this season as Nico Hoerner’s extension moves into its pricier years, but the bigger issue is the pitching staff. Right now, Chicago has more money committed to Alex Bregman in 2027 than it does to its entire projected pitching staff.
If the front office decides that pitching has to be the priority in free agency, bringing Suzuki back could be a step too far. Still, the Cubs may view the risk as necessary because their window is still unsettled. Ian Happ and Carson Kelly are also headed for free agency, and Chicago needs more top-of-the-order production beyond Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman.
Dansby Swanson and Hoerner have been elite defenders, but since the start of 2025, both have been below-average bats. Adding Suzuki while also fixing the pitching staff would probably push the Cubs to or beyond $200 million in payroll, and whether they’re willing to go there remains unclear. But with PCA still below $20 million in AAV for the next six years, this may be the moment to spend and build out the short-term roster.
In Other News...
Nationals May Have Found An Impact Bat Fans Arent Watching Yet
Baseball Americas updated ranking of the Nationals top prospects offered another reminder that the organizations next wave may already be taking shape, and Eli Willits sits at the center of it. The young infielder is now listed as Washingtons No. 1 prospect, with the publication pointing to elite hitting and speed tools that give him a chance to become a difference-maker if everything comes together.
There is also some quieter intrigue a little farther down the list in Samil Serrano, who checked in at No. 5 after a strong offensive showing in the Dominican Summer League. The corner outfielder is expected to begin his stateside career in rookie ball, which makes him one of the more interesting names to monitor as the Nationals keep building depth behind the more familiar headliners. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Have A New Soto Story Fans Will Want To Watch
The Nationals have another Soto story worth following this fall, and it comes from a different corner of the organization than the one fans know best. Elian Soto was sent to the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League, where he has started to show the kind of progress Washington has been hoping to see after some uneven earlier seasons. He has reached base safely in all six games and has already connected for his first AFL home run, a promising sign for a player still trying to turn tools into steady production.
For Washington, the appeal goes beyond one hot stretch in Arizona. Soto, the younger brother of Juan Soto, has drawn praise from his manager for his energy and work ethic, and he has pointed to his own mental growth as a reason for the recent uptick. The Nationals do not need to rush anything here, but they do want to see whether this version of Soto can keep building on the improvement he showed during the 2026 season and make the fall league a real step forward rather than just a brief burst of momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Fans Have Another Soto Prospect Worth Watching Closely
Elian Soto is giving Nationals fans another reason to keep one eye on the Arizona Fall League this fall. The younger brother of Juan Soto just picked up his first home run of the 2026 AFL season, a reminder that Washington has another intriguing name in its system as he continues to work his way through the minors.
Soto spent the 2026 season in Single-A, where he hit .261 while showing some versatility by moving between first base and left field. Washington signed him as an international free agent in January 2023, and the organization is using this stage to give him more experience ahead of the 2027 campaign. [Read more 🡒]