DALLAS -- The trade market presents the most realistic path for the Cubs to find a way to shake up their offense. There is little wiggle room on the position player side of the roster, making it essential for president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to consider a wide range of scenarios.

That process has included exploring potential trades involving Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki, his agent, Joel Wolfe, said on Tuesday while holding court with media in a ballroom at the MLB Winter Meetings. As recently as Monday evening, Hoyer looped Wolfe in on teams that have inquired about the outfielder.

¡°Jed has been very communicative about it,¡± Wolfe said. ¡°He told me what teams they¡¯ve been talking to. I don¡¯t think he wants to trade Seiya, but there may be a scenario where he feels like he has a deal he can¡¯t say, ¡®no,¡¯ to. So he¡¯s talked to us about what teams Seiya would consider.¡±

Given that the five-year, $85 million contract that Suzuki signed with the Cubs prior to the 2022 season includes a full no-trade clause, it makes sense for Hoyer to have an open line of communication. Wolfe said Suzuki ¡°has an open mind¡± about waiving his no-trade, but the agent added that there is a ¡°small universe¡± of teams the outfielder would consider.

The Suzuki situation falls within Cubs¡¯ search for ways to upgrade a Major League roster lacking positional vacancies in the starting lineup. If Hoyer and his front office team want to reorganize the lineup -- creating pathways for the group of Top 100 prospects knocking on MLB¡¯s door -- the trade market is the logical route.

And if teams call about the availability of Cody Bellinger, Suzuki or anyone else on the roster, it is the job of the Cubs¡¯ front office to listen.

¡°The bar to trade any great player is really, really high,¡± Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins said on Tuesday. ¡°We don¡¯t want to trade Seiya. But, look, as Joel talked about, there¡¯s people that are interested in great players. So if teams come asking, those are at least conversations we¡¯re willing to have.

¡°But I really don¡¯t think much is going to come of it, because he¡¯s just such a great player and such a great fit for us.¡±

Once Bellinger decided to exercise his player option for 2025 (rather than hitting free agency), that locked up the outfield with him slotted for right field, Ian Happ in left and Pete Crow-Armstrong in center.

Suzuki also patrols right field but projects to get more action at designated hitter with Bellinger still in the fold. That was how things played out down the stretch last season. Suzuki moved to full-time DH duty beginning on Aug. 16, found a routine that worked for him and hit .326 with a .933 OPS in his 37 games from that point on.

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Even with Suzuki¡¯s strong finish, Wolfe noted on Tuesday that the 30-year-old (under contract for $18 million in each of the next two years) did not want to remain a full-time DH.

¡°Seiya was a great defender in Japan,¡± Wolfe said, ¡°so it¡¯s not a compliment to him being a DH.¡±

Wolfe added that he was speaking to Suzuki¡¯s mind-set and not making any commentary on the decision-making by the Cubs. On Monday, manager Craig Counsell said he did not anticipate using Suzuki exclusively as a DH next year.

¡°We got into a situation where he ended up being DH¡¯d for a little while,¡± Counsell said. ¡°I think that¡¯s unlikely again.¡±

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Suzuki¡¯s move to DH came after Crow-Armstrong (an elite defender) emerged as the Cubs¡¯ everyday center fielder, pushing Bellinger (a Gold Glove winner in right in ¡¯19 with the Dodgers) to the corner. Suzuki also struggled defensively at times last season, logging -3 outs above average with a -2 fielding run value, per Statcast.

Offensively, Suzuki enjoyed his best overall season in ¡¯24, even while being limited to 132 games due to injury. His .889 OPS in the second half helped him finish with a .283/.366/.482 slash line overall with 21 home runs, 27 doubles, 73 RBIs and a 138 OPS+.

¡°There's a lot that could happen over the course of an offseason,¡± Hawkins said. ¡°But from a Seiya standpoint, he's going to be a huge part of our team. He's obviously one of the better hitters in the league. And there will be chances for him to play in the outfield. There will be chances for him to DH. We just expect him to be a huge impact player for us.¡±