'Don't forget about us': Inside the Cubs' recruiting pitch to Suzuki
Jordan Bastian
@MLBastianMESA, Ariz. -- Seiya Suzuki knew that he was not prepared to make a decision on where he would sign before baseball's lockout arrived in early December. That did not stop a few interested teams from aggressively pushing for a deal with the Japanese slugger.
The Cubs took a different approach. Knowing Suzuki's preference for patience, Jed Hoyer, the team's president of baseball operations, sent a message to Joel Wolfe, Suzuki's agent, before the clock struck midnight on Dec. 1:
"Don't forget about us. We will be waiting for you on the other side."
Once the 99-day lockout ended, unfreezing the lines of communication and reopening transactions, Wolfe began receiving e-mails and messages from the Cubs again. Representatives from the ballclub also arrived to Los Angeles, where Wolfe's agency, Wasserman, is located.
"Another thing Seiya liked was the Cubs showed him that respect," Wolfe said.
It was the kind of first impression that went a long way in Suzuki deciding to pen his name on a five-year, $85 million contract with the Cubs. He walked into a press conference on Friday wearing a No. 27 ("Mike Trout, I love you.") Cubs jersey and summed up the recruiting process.
"Their passion to get me on this team was something that really took me by heart," Suzuki said via his translator, Toy Matsushita.
Convincing Suzuki to meet
Prior to the transaction freeze, Suzuki's representatives had a 10-day window to talk with teams once the slugging outfielder was posted by the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. They whittled a list of a dozen teams down to eight and conducted Zoom calls.
"Imagine trying to persuade the guy in an hour," Wolfe said. "The Cubs' meeting made a great impression on him. And he already had somewhat of a preference for the Cubs from watching American baseball."
The Cubs also felt confident in their position after the initial conversations.
"We thought it went really well," Hoyer said. "And then December 1 hit. We had the time. So then, we were sort of like, 'OK, let's like redouble our efforts here.' And we spent time on videos, on documentation and really used that time."
With the help of Cubs Productions, Hoyer's front office team had recruiting videos made to help Suzuki learn more about the ballclub, city and the experience of the players and their families. After the lockout ended, they sent those to Suzuki's team.
"I was watching the videos at home and I was about to cry," Suzuki said. "Everything was good."
Suzuki, who was training at UCLA after the lockout, agreed to meet with the Cubs in person on Monday. Hoyer knew this was their biggest shot at convincing the outfielder to come to Chicago.
"Once we knew we had the meeting on Monday night," Hoyer said, "it was like, 'OK. Let's do this.'"
The dinner in L.A.
Wolfe did not want to meet with the Cubs in the cold environment of a board room. Instead, he arranged a dinner at Hayama, a Japanese restaurant near Wasserman's headquarters near UCLA.
"I think we convinced the Cubs," Wolfe said with a smile. "By having such a great environment and great food and letting them see a more personal side of Seiya."
Besides Hoyer, manager David Ross and team chairman Tom Ricketts were among the Cubs' contingent. Wolfe said Ricketts made a strong impression on Suzuki with his easygoing demeanor. Ross and Suzuki also hit it off, and their respective senses of humor did not hurt.
"Everybody that was there was just trying to be themselves," Ross said. "And make him understand that he was a priority and what a fit we thought he was for our group."
At one point, Ross asked Suzuki what questions he had for them. The outfielder asked about the weather in Chicago. The Cubs were more than ready for that topic.
"They had these charts," Wolfe said. "Showing how great the weather was in Chicago, especially in September, and then they showed him comparisons between Chicago and Hiroshima."
As things were winding down, Hoyer and Wolfe chatted off to the side and the Cubs made their offer. Suzuki's team made a counter offer later that night. In the early morning hours of Tuesday, the Cubs came back with an offer Suzuki was prepared to accept.
"There was one caveat," Wolfe said. "Before we could complete it, Seiya wanted to see Chicago for himself to make sure that it was the right place for him and [his wife] Airi."
Sealing the deal
Prior to the lockout ending, Suzuki made a trip to San Diego, where he met with Padres pitcher Yu Darvish and his wife, Seiko. It was a chance to discuss the various places Darvish has played, but also the culture around the teams and the comfort of the cities.
"All of the things that really is better to come from a Japanese player," Wolfe said. "They were able to provide perspectives without trying to necessarily push him one way."
Of course, Darvish told Suzuki he would love to have him as a teammate in San Diego. That said, the former Cubs pitcher expressed that he also wanted Suzuki to go where he felt most comfortable. And Darvish raved about his experience with the Cubs.
"Yu told me the city was great," Suzuki said. "And that they have a really great fan base and [that] I'm just going to love it here."
Suzuki flew to Chicago on Tuesday night and spent the next day exploring the city and seeing Wrigley Field. The Cubs had him wearing their uniform up on the videoboards behind the famous bleacher seats. They had a No. 27 home jersey with Suzuki's name on it hanging in a locker.
The weather -- one of Suzuki's concerns -- was also perfect.
"We dialed up at like a 65-degree mid-March day," Hoyer said with a laugh. "I think at that point, we felt really good about it."
Nao Masamoto, a video coordinator and Pacific Rim liaison for the Cubs, showed Suzuki around. They looked at potential places to live. Hoyer made a reservation at a Japanese restaurant. Everything the outfielder saw and experienced lived up to Darvish's description.
"He absolutely loved it," Wolfe said.
Suzuki signed the contract on Wednesday night and went through his physical and the final steps on Thursday. On Friday, the Cubs unveiled the fifth-largest signing in club history, and the largest contract given to a Japanese position player in MLB history.
From start to finish, the Cubs convinced Suzuki that they were where he could thrive, find comfort and be a building block for the team for years to come.
"We're doing the best we can to win baseball games," Ross said. "But also understand that there's other things that players deal with outside of just performance on the field. I think that's a priority for this organization."