Despite raising his batting average from .192 to .215 over the past month and nearly doubling his home run total in that span, the Diamondbacks have not seen the production they expected from former All-Star Eugenio Suárez.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!While it was unrealistic to expect the 2018 or 2019 version of Suárez, who hit nearly 50 home runs and posted an OPS close to 1.000, even the 2023 Mariners’ version of Suárez has been absent. The 33-year-old is on pace to finish with his lowest home run total since 2015 and his second-lowest OPS+, continuing to disappoint the Diamondbacks.
This lack of production has made Suárez a frequent subject of trade deadline rumors. In a recent piece by The Athletic MLB Staff predicting bold moves for each team, Sam Blum forecasted that Suárez would be traded by the end of the month. Blum wrote, “The Diamondbacks made a push in the offseason to improve on the World Series roster of 2023. It hasn’t gone according to plan, but they came out of the break just one game out of the wild card. The Eugenio Suárez acquisition hasn’t worked out, and while the D-Backs should be buyers, Suárez might not be in the plans. Arizona should still look for pitching help and make a push for the postseason.”
Back in early June, Bob Nightengale at USA Today expressed a similar sentiment, warning that Suárez is on the brink of losing his job. Nightengale noted, “The Diamondbacks are willing to listen to offers for struggling third baseman Eugenio Suárez, who could soon lose his everyday job. Suárez has a $15 million club option the D-backs don’t intend to exercise.”
So, which team might be interested in Suárez? Despite a slight uptick in performance this month, he still has 15 strikeouts over the last seven games, bringing his season total to 114.
Perhaps the veteran, who just reached 10 years of service time in Major League Baseball, needs a change of scenery. On the bright side, his line drive percentage is reaching career highs, and he is hitting the ball to center field at the highest rate since 2021. While the home run ball may not be there, the power is still evident, and a team may want to take a chance on a bat like that.
