The Chicago Cubs made one of the more surprising splashes of this free agency period. On March 16th, the Cubs signed Seiya Suzuki to a 5-year deal, adding a big bat to their lineup and a good glove to their outfield.
Suzuki had an impressive career in Japan that caused many teams across Major League Baseball to take notice. When free agency reopened on March 10th, the 26-year old outfielder drew interest from several teams around the league. Fortunately, the Cubs might’ve had a slight advantage when the time came to reel him in.
Nick Madrigal came to the Cubs at last season’s trade deadline in a deal that sent Craig Kimbrel to the Chicago White Sox. Although he has yet to make his Cubs debut, he may have played a part in convincing Suzuki to sign with the Cubs.
Taylor McGregor with Marquee Sports Network reported this on Friday:
Nick Madrigal was a huge part of the recruitment of Seiya Suzuki to the #Cubs. They share an agent, Joel Wolfe.
— Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) March 18, 2022
Madrigal and Suzuki sharing an agent may have been a big part of the Cubs landing Suzuki. This association helped Madrigal connect with Suzuki and ultimately helped convince him to join the Cubs. Madrigal spent his first two seasons with the Chicago White Sox and became familiarized with the city. Madrigal wasn’t going to let Chicago’s notoriously cold weather deter Seiya Suzuki. Jordan Bastian shared part of Madrigal’s wholesome recruitment campaign on Twitter.
Nick Madrigal, who shares an agent with Seiya Suzuki, helped with the recruiting. He made these signs and sent them to the Japanese slugger.
Did it seal the deal?
Madrigal: “I don’t want to take all the credit but I think I had a big part to do with that. No, I’m just kidding.” pic.twitter.com/lsiq3uuAs4
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) March 18, 2022
Nick Madrigal and Seiya Suzuki are two of the most highly anticipated Cubs hitters entering this upcoming season. Madrigal is a career .317 hitter and is one of the best contact hitters in the league. Suzuki’s bat should be a great compliment to Madrigal’s contact-hitting ability. Suzuki recorded an impressive 38 home runs with the Hiroshima Carp last season while coincidentally maintaining a .317 batting average.
It’s unclear how the Cubs’ lineup will shake out this season, but Seiya Suzuki will prove to be a crucial piece. Cubs fans may owe Nick Madrigal at least a partial thanks for this signing. Suzuki and the Cubs open up the regular season on April 7th at home against the Milwaukee Brewers.
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