One of baseball’s most impactful hitters is changing teams.
The Arizona Diamondbacks dealt veteran third baseman Eugenio Suárez to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday evening, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. As compensation, the Diamondbacks are set to acquire first baseman Tyler Locklear plus a pair of pitching prospects, RHP Hunter Cranton and RHP Juan Burgos, according to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer.
Suárez, age 34, is currently putting together what may be his strongest season in the major leagues. As he heads into the All-Star break, his batting line stands at .250/.320/.569, complemented by 31 long balls. Only Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani exceeded that home run total by the season’s midway point. Suárez has since increased that number to 36, the most by any player before a midseason trade, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs. Mark McGwire previously held this record, hitting 34 home runs prior to being traded in 1997.
Despite being struck by a fastball on his hand in the All-Star Game, Suárez initiated the second half with excellent performance, launching four home runs within his initial three games following the break.
Elite power hitting has defined Suárez’s career. He blossomed into one of the game’s elite power hitters during his tenure with the Cincinnati Reds. Following a few unremarkable seasons early in his career, he made substantial improvements in 2017, achieving an OPS exceeding .800 for the first time. He maintained that performance over the next two seasons, hitting a combined .277/.362/.550, along with 83 home runs. He earned his first All-Star selection in 2018 and garnered votes in the MVP race.
Following that point, his statistics declined. While Suárez retained his exceptional power, his batting average suffered. He only hit .199 over his final two seasons with the Reds before being traded to the Mariners before the 2022 season.
His batting average improved slightly in Seattle, although he appeared to be declining in 2023, when his slugging percentage fell below .400 for the first time since his rookie campaign. Suárez was subsequently traded to Arizona before the 2024 season.
His time in Arizona began poorly. Suárez hit a mere .216/.302/.366 over the first half of 2024. Given his recent performance dip and his age, it seemed likely he would lose his starting role.
However, something changed in the second half. Suárez’s performance improved considerably, hitting .307/.341/.602 with 20 home runs down the stretch. With that, he resurrected his season and convinced the Diamondbacks to exercise his $15 million team option for the 2025 season.
This season, Suárez has continued his strong play from the second half of 2024, earning his second All-Star selection. He’ll be bringing his considerable power, and likely more MVP consideration, back to the Mariners in pursuit of his first World Series championship.
Unless an extension is agreed upon, Suárez will be eligible for free agency at the conclusion of the season. That means he is only a short-term addition for the Mariners, but he’s poised to earn another lucrative contract, particularly if his performance in Seattle is anywhere near his first-half pace.
What to make of Suarez’s return to the Mariners?
The Mariners were the first team to make a significant transaction in the days leading up to the trade deadline, acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the D-backs, but observers wondered if that move foreshadowed a larger deal with the Snakes — one that would see Seattle reunite with third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
That trade materialized almost a week later after third basemen Ryan McMahon and Ke’Bryan Hayes were dealt elsewhere, diminishing the number of potential suitors for Suarez and giving Seattle a chance to craft an appropriate offer to finalize the transaction.
Suarez quickly endeared himself to Mariners fans during his two seasons in 2022 and 2023, but he was traded to Arizona after the 2023 season in what appeared to be a move motivated by salary concerns. So, it’s somewhat surprising to see the team dedicate significant prospect capital to bring him back two years later. Still, Suarez’s performance with the bat has been revitalized over the past year after a downturn toward the end of his initial tenure with the Mariners. This resurgence made him the most appealing available hitter at this year’s deadline, with a remarkable 36 home runs and a league-leading 87 RBI before August.
Rookie Ben Williamson has performed well at third base for Seattle this year, particularly on defense, but his offense lags significantly behind, prompting Seattle to consider an upgrade at the position. Suarez represents a substantial improvement with the bat, and he adds a valued veteran presence to the Mariners clubhouse after a two-year absence. Suarez’s defensive metrics have been underwhelming this year, meaning that replacing Williamson with Suarez will likely hinder Seattle’s infield defense. However, it’s a worthwhile risk that suddenly makes Seattle’s lineup among the most formidable in the American League.
In conjunction with the acquisition of Naylor and the addition of left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson earlier Wednesday to reinforce the bullpen, the Mariners are having a strong trade deadline. They could still benefit from another reliever, and they possess the prospect depth to pursue some of the available bullpen arms. It remains to be seen whether they will make another move.
On the Arizona side, this trade of Suarez adds to their ongoing roster overhaul and bolsters their collection of young talent from Seattle’s farm system after obtaining pitchers Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi in the Naylor trade. Locklear is a right-handed first baseman with power who has been performing exceptionally well in Triple-A over the past month, earning a call-up this week after debuting in the majors last year. He’s a logical replacement for Naylor at first base and is likely to receive opportunities to prove his value as a consistent starter in the major leagues.
Burgos and Cranton are both relief pitching prospects — with considerable potential. Burgos has been underrated throughout his minor-league career but recently made his major-league debut. Cranton, a third-round pick last season, encountered some injury setbacks at the start of his first full professional season but possesses a blazing fastball in the upper-90s that could quickly propel him to the majors in high-pressure situations. He’s currently in High-A ball, but he could very well be in Arizona’s bullpen by next year at this time. — Shusterman
