"The player has a unique skill set that has value in MLB" - Chicago Cubs sign Seiya Suzuki for record amount

The Chicago Cubs were thought to be rebuilding, but it looks more like reloading. First reported by David Kaplan of ESPN 1000, the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a 5-year contract with Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki, with the amount being corrected later in an ESPN article to $85 million.

Suzuki, who joins the Chicago Cubs from the Hiroshima Carp of the Nippon Baseball League, is one of the most well-rounded athletes to make the trip from Japan.

In addition to ending the last season with a Central League Batting title and slugging percentage of .636, Seiya Suzuki won his 5th gold glove in 6 years as a right fielder.

He has been on big stages since the inception of his career. The 27-year old won a Gold Medal in the most recent Olympic Games for Japan and made the Team Japan roster for the World Baseball Classic in his rookie year, as the youngest member of the team.

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross stated that:

"The player (Seiya Suzuki) has a unique skill set that has value in MLB."

Seiya Suzuki only part of Chicago Cubs' rebuilding process

This marks the second major signing for the Chicago Cubs, who were believed to be in a rebuild phase during the off-season. After trading away key members of the 2016 World Series Champion roster such as Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez, there was a lack of star power in Wrigley Field.

However, as a surprise to the baseball world, the Cubs ended up signing former Met Marcus Stroman for a 3-year contract to help stabilize their pitching staff. They were also rumored to be in discussions with free agent shortstop Carlos Correa before signing the fielding wizard Andrelton Simmons.

The Cubs' President of Baseball Operations confirmed that in a statement reported by ESPN.

"We're going to add as much talent in this organization as we possibly can because that's what winning organizations have."

The biggest weight on Seiya Suzuki's shoulders might be the sheer size of the contract. The $85 million that Suzuki will be paid over the 5-year period makes it the most money ever awarded to a Japanese position player and second among all Japanese players, behind Masahiro Tanaka's massive contract with the Yankees.

For context, this contract is roughly 50% of Major League Baseball's best Japanese player Ichiro Suzuki's lifetime earnings. Whether it is fair or not, Suzuki will be compared to the likes of Ichiro, Hideki Matsui, and Shohei Ohtani before he takes his first ever at bat in the majors.

Will he rise to the occasion, assume his place among the greats, and prove the Chicago Cubs right? Or will he be the next Kaz Matsui or former Chicago Cub Kosuke Fukudome and crumble against the highest level of competition?

Only time will tell!