Star Hiroshima Carp outfielder Seiya Suzuki has agreed to a five-year, $70 million (¥8.3 billion) deal with the Chicago Cubs, American sports network ESPN reported, citing a source.
The 27-year-old Suzuki, one of Japan’s premier players, has been free to negotiate with any MLB team after being posted by the Carp in November. Normally a 30-day process, negotiations were interrupted when MLB initiated a labor dispute by locking out players when its labor agreement expired on Nov. 30.
Suzuki was free to resume negotiations when MLB and its players agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement last Thursday.
Suzuki hit a career-high 38 home runs in 2021 and led the Central League in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and outfield assists.
He has won six straight postseason CL Best Nine awards and five Golden Gloves.
The deal includes a posting fee to the Carp, which, under reported terms of the contract, would be $14.625 million.
Suzuki’s salary would be the largest for any non-pitcher from Japan and trail only the $155 million deal pitcher Masahiro Tanaka signed with the New York Yankees in 2014.
In addition to an outfield role, Suzuki could be in position to be the Cubs’ designated hitter as the DH rule will be implemented in the National League as part of the new labor deal.
The Cubs missed the playoffs last year for only the second time in seven seasons with a 71-91 record, their worst campaign since 2013.
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