The Chicago Cubs enter the 2019-20 offseason with one of the highest payrolls in baseball and a host of questions surrounding the future of some of their young stars.
While the trade rumors swirl, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports that the Cubs have interest in Japanese outfielder Shogo Akiyama:
The Cubs have Japanese outfielder Shogo Akiyama on their radar as they explore ways to boost production from the leadoff spot and improve their up-the-middle defense.
Akiyama, who will turn 32 in April, is a left-handed hitter with a career .301 average for the Seibu Lions. Across the last five seasons in Japan’s Pacific League, his on-base percentages look like this: .419, .385, .398, .403 and .392.
Akiyama–now 31 years old–has been playing professionally in Japan since 2011, and he has also showcased some power, having topped 20 home runs in each of the last three years.
The Seibu Lions star is not expected to be very expensive this winter–MLB Trade Rumors projects that he will sign for just two years and $6 million–which would fit Chicago's budgetary constraints.
Signing Akiyama would allow the Cubs to go with their preferred outfield look, with Kyle Schwarber in left field an Jason Heyward in right. Heyward played a lot of center for the Cubs this season, but he has merely posted average metrics there while playing Gold Glove defense in right field.
This would not be the first time that Chicago's front office made a play for a Japanese star. The Cubs signed former Hanshin Tigers star outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to a four-year, $48 million deal in 2007.
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