MESA, Ariz. -- During batting practice on Saturday morning, Cubs manager Craig Counsell watched a few rounds at the team¡¯s backfields. After Seiya Suzuki stepped out of the cage for a few minutes, Counsell headed over and chatted with the outfielder.
While this is a typical scene during a Spring Training workout, Counsell and Suzuki are making a point to improve their communication this year. After last season, Suzuki felt that was an area that could have been better and now -- as the Cubs continue to help the right fielder unlock his full potential on the field -- it is a stated goal for Counsell.
¡°We both talked about it kind of at the end of the year,¡± Counsell said. ¡°I¡¯ll put it on myself ¨C just doing a better job with talking to him. Sometimes, the language barrier makes you lazy, unfortunately. And that¡¯s on me. I¡¯ve got to get a little better at that, and will.
¡°It¡¯s something that I promised Seiya and I will work hard to do.¡±
The way the Cubs¡¯ roster is configured, Suzuki projects to get the majority of his playing time as the designated hitter this season. Chicago has three-time Gold Glove winner Ian Happ in left and youngster Pete Crow-Armstrong entrenched in center, and the team landed superstar Kyle Tucker via trade this winter to play right.
During the Winter Meetings in December -- before Tucker¡¯s arrival and the subsequent trade that sent Cody Bellinger to the Yankees -- Suzuki¡¯s agent, Joel Wolfe, made it known that his client was not thrilled about DHing. That led to trade chatter, but the choppy winter waters have since calmed.
Suzuki and Counsell have discussed the DH role and are on the same page.
¡°We¡¯re in a good place there,¡± Counsell said.
¡°My job is to give it my all, whatever my job calls for,¡± Suzuki said via interpreter Edwin Stanberry. ¡°If it is to DH, if it is to play the field, I¡¯m giving my best.¡±
When Bellinger returned from injury in August last season, Suzuki moved into the DH slot regularly beginning on Aug. 16 and hit .326 with a .933 OPS in 37 games down the stretch. As a DH overall last year, Suzuki slashed .298/.386/.461 in 59 games. Even if Suzuki did not enjoy the role as much as manning right, that success at DH helps.
Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly noted that Suzuki has worked hard to condense his hitting routine over the past few years, finding specific drills to target aspects of his swing. That gave the outfielder a solid foundation for adjusting to DH duties in the middle of the season.
¡°There'd probably be a different conversation if he was completely out of sorts,¡± Kelly said. ¡°It is a hard thing to do. There's a lot of guys that struggle with DHing more than a couple times a week. But I think the way that he works, and how diligent he is with his work and sticking to that routine, it doesn't necessarily matter.¡±
Kelly said he remembers the challenge of getting to know Suzuki during his first year as the lead hitting coach in ¡®23. So with the Cubs hiring Counsell after Suzuki had learned the Major League ropes under former manager David Ross, Kelly can see how there might have been issues on the communication side of things.
¡°Hitting kind of has its own language,¡± Kelly said. ¡°I think we almost have an advantage in that sense. It¡¯s not verbal communication all the time. There¡¯s so many things that we can either demonstrate or use body language. I spend so much time with these guys. Counsell doesn¡¯t get the same chance.
¡°You pick up on cues and body language, but the first year was still a little bit of a challenge for me. ¡ [Counsell] probably learned a little bit about that last year, too.¡±
Suzuki said he did not want to share the details of the conversations he has had with Counsell, but said, ¡°I feel we¡¯re improving¡± with communicating. Suzuki said it is not only on the baseball side of things, too. He wants to gain a ¡°deeper understanding¡± of Counsell¡¯s thinking on multiple fronts as the Cubs aim for the playoffs.
One message Counsell has delivered early on is that Suzuki should embrace the lofty expectations attached to the slugger.
¡°Seiya¡¯s offensive seasons are really, really good,¡± Counsell said. ¡°And I think sometimes we¡¯re like, ¡®Do more.¡¯ And I told Seiya this, ¡®That¡¯s a blessing and a curse, right? People think you¡¯re that good that you can do more. ¡ Take it that way. It¡¯s the belief that everybody has in you.¡¯¡±