Suzuki to Cubs: 5 years, $85 million per reports

MLB Free Agent Rumors: Seiya Suzuki and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to terms on a 5 year, $70 million deal, per reports.

Suzuki, a star outfielder in the JPL, was posted by the Hiroshima Carp in November. The Texas Rangers were one of a number of teams who had interest in the 27 year old, though it appears they missed out on him. The Rangers are reportedly still seeking an outfielder to add, and with Suzuki off the board, they will presumably look at other targets such as Jorge Soler, who they have been rumored to have shown interest in.

The Cubs will pay a posting fee that, if my math is correct, will total $12.35 million, making the total outlay for Suzuki $82.35 million.

This isn’t the Cubs’ first foray into the Japanese outfielder market — in the 2007-08 offseason they signed Kosuke Fukudome to a four year deal after the outfielder had spent nine season with Chunichi in the JPL.

UPDATE — Ken Rosenthal says that it is a 5 year, $85 million deal for Suzuki, not $70 million, and that that doesn’t include the posting fee. The posting fee for Suzuki is, by my math, $14.6 million on an $85 million contract, which means all in it is roughly $100 million the Cubs are laying out for five years of Suzuki.

Rosenthal says there’s also a full no-trade clause.

Jeff Passan is also saying it is 5 years, $85 million.