Blue Jays Tipped to Land Suzuki on Five-Year, $145M Deal as Free-Agent Chase Heats Up

The Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as the favourites to land the biggest bat on the free-agent market, with Bleacher Report predicting they will sign Seiya Suzuki to a five-year, $145 million contract. The prediction, from Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly, follows reporting from The Athletic's Mitch Bannon that Toronto is expected to pursue Suzuki this winter, and it would be a major statement from a club that finished last in runs scored and is desperate for offensive firepower. Suzuki, 32, is coming off the best season of his career with the Chicago Cubs, hitting .270 with 26 home runs, 86 RBIs and a 131 OPS+, and he has already turned down the Cubs' one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer in search of a long-term deal. His first major league contract, a five-year, $85 million deal with Chicago, has now expired, and a $145 million agreement would represent a huge jump in annual value. Not every projection agrees on the price. Spotrac puts Suzuki closer to four years and $110 million, while MLB Trade Rumors' Darragh McDonald predicts a five-year, $105 million deal — also with Toronto. The Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox have been linked too, but the Blue Jays' need for a right-handed power bat to protect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the lineup makes them the natural fit. With a possible lockout looming on December 1, Suzuki's market could move fast.