What if Seiya Suzuki caught the ball?Maybe the Chicago Cubs hang on to beat the Atlanta Braves that September night, giving them their 83rd win of the 2023 campaign with five games remaining. The final weekend of that regular season featured the Cubs against the Milwaukee Brewers, a team that would have little to play for with its division title already clinched and home-field advantage secured for its opening playoff series.While a late-season collapse left the Cubs with an 83-79 record, the last two entrants in the National League’s postseason field included two 84-win clubs, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, who would make it all the way to the World Series.Even if the Cubs couldn’t conjure that kind of October magic, a postseason appearance might have boosted the next year’s budget for baseball operations, opening different possibilities for trades and free agents. Making the playoffs would have made it virtually impossible for Cubs president Jed Hoyer to fire manager David Ross, eliminating an option for Craig Counsell when his contract with the Brewers expired.Losing that ball in the Truist Park lights dented Suzuki’s confidence and reputation as a defender. History always shadows the Cubs, a franchise now marking its 150th anniversary. A split-second mistake by the Japanese outfielder on Sept. 26, 2023, instantly recalled Ron Santo’s pained reaction on WGN Radio when Brant Brown dropped a fly ball on Sept. 23, 1998, in Milwaukee: “Oh no!”Fast forward to Sunday, when Ross will be in ABC’s broadcast booth at Oracle Park while Counsell will try to outmaneuver the San Francisco Giants and get Chicago’s season back on track. Suzuki remains in the picture, still striving to be part of “The Next Great Cubs Team.”“I know that in the past I’ve lost the trust of people with my defense,” Suzuki said through an interpreter. “I want my teammates to trust me.”As the manager during a Wrigley Field rebuild, Ross played an integral role in recruiting Suzuki, who was regarded as a plus defender when he left Nippon Professional Baseball after the 2021 season. The organization’s evaluation of Suzuki as a dynamic, well-rounded player led to a five-year commitment valued at nearly $100 million, including the posting fee owed to his Japanese club.Although his offensive production has been spotty at times and hampered by injuries, Suzuki has demonstrated an ability to carry the offense. The dollars metric on FanGraphs has already assessed his overall contributions as a Cub at more than $99 million.