The Seattle ballclub has secured the most potent slugger available as the 2025 MLB transaction period reached its peak. Reports from ESPN confirm that Seattle has reached an agreement to obtain third baseman Eugenio Suárez from the Arizona contingent. MLB.com indicates that first baseman Tyler Locklear along with pitching prospects Hunter Cranton and Juan Burgos will be heading to Arizona as part of the exchange. For Suárez, this agreement marks a homecoming to Seattle, where he was a member in the 2022 and 2023 campaigns.
Suárez, at age 34, has already exceeded 30 dingers for the fourth instance in the previous half-decade and the fifth occasion in the last seven, with the singular exception being the shortened 2020 season. Currently, he is on pace to surpass 50 round-trippers (standing at 36), although his elevated home run-to-fly ball rate might adjust downward toward his career norm as the season progresses.
Regardless, Suárez, even with a home run rate aligning with his career average, is an exceptional player, significantly enhancing the Mariners’ capabilities at the hot corner. While his defensive prowess is currently adequate — he is primarily valued for his offensive contribution — his power can shift the momentum of a game, and he is well-regarded for his positive influence in the clubhouse. Suárez has consistently received commendation as a supportive teammate who mentors younger players.
Despite remaining competitive in the postseason chase, the D-backs parted ways with Suárez due to his impending free agency at the conclusion of the season. Additionally, they could not forgo the chance to integrate young talent into their system. The D-backs have already sent Josh Naylor (also to the Mariners), and other players nearing the end of their contracts, such as Jalen Beeks, Zac Gallen, and Merrill Kelly, might be moved prior to the trade cutoff date, with a possibility of more transactions.
Suárez’s 36 home runs place him fifth among all MLB players. His new teammate, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, leads the league with 41 home runs. Historically, only one MLB team has featured two players hitting 50 or more home runs in the same season: the 1961 Yankees, featuring Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. Suárez also established a new benchmark for the most home runs tallied by any player at the moment of being traded at the deadline.
Most home runs at time of trade — MLB history
Suárez is earning $15 million this season, representing the club’s option year of the seven-year, $66 million agreement he initially inked with the Cincinnati Reds back in March 2018. He commenced his MLB journey with the Detroit Tigers and has since been involved in transactions involving the Reds, the Seattle Mariners, and subsequently the D-backs. This marks his 12th season competing in MLB.
