Seiya Suzuki planning to wait out lockout to come to majors

One could understand if Seiya Suzuki had changed his mind about coming stateside for the 2022 season. The ongoing lockout has frozen all major league signings, leaving him in limbo going forward. Spending another year in Japan could make sense.

But Suzuki has made up his mind. After receiving numerous offers prior to the lockout, Suzuki is going to wait for the labor stoppage to end and look to come stateside no matter how long it takes.

Seiya Suzuki coming stateside no matter how long it takes

It makes sense for Suzuki to wait through the lockout. He will still have 20 days to come to an agreement with a team at that point. Considering that he has already received plenty of offers, it may not take long for him to sign.

Likewise, Suzuki does not have much more to prove in Japan. He has belted at least 25 homers in every season since 2016. His 2021 campaign was thoroughly impressive as he produced a .317/.433/.639 batting line with 38 homers and 26 doubles in his 533 plate appearances. Even with that power output, he struck out just 88 times while drawing 87 walks.

Even if it is difficult to know how his performance will translate to the majors, Suzuki is still going to intrigue plenty of teams. His ability to make contact, hit for power, and draw a walk show a combination of skills that are prized around the game. He could very easily prove to be a bargain.

There is a bit of risk in waiting through the lockout. Even with those 20 days, Suzuki may not find a deal to his liking and ends up going back to Japan. Since their spring training also begins in February, that could leave him far behind other players in regards to being ready. But this is a risk he is willing to take.

The lockout has not dissuaded Seiya Suzuki from his plan to come stateside. He is still determined to play in the majors in 2022.