Suarez posted a .228/.298/.526 batting line in his 657 plate appearances between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners, hitting 49 home runs and 28 doubles. His power was on full display on April 29 when he became the 19th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a game. He is a proven run producer and has driven in at least 100 runs four times, including a career-best 118 RBI in 2025.
Suarez, who turns 35 on July 18, does not have the benefit of Japanese third basemen Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto. However, he has a proven track record in the majors that Murakami and Okamoto do not have. While he may be limited to a two- or three-year contract due to his age, Suarez can still make a difference in the middle of a lineup.
Three potential landing spots for Eugenio Suarez in free agency
1. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates were one of the least productive lineups in the Majors overall in 2025 28th in the main class with a .678 OPS. Outfielder O’Neil Cruz led the Pirates with 20 home runs; only four other players hit as many as 10 home runs last season. Two of the four, outfielder Tommy Pham and design hitter Andrew McCutchen, are free agents. Cruz was also the only Pirates player with at least 20 home runs in 2024.
If the Pirates want to take a significant step forward and compete in 2026, they need to address the lineup. Suarez would be an immediate upgrade at third and provide a force element the Pirates have lacked since 2019, when Josh Bell (37 home runs) was the last player to hit more than 30 home runs in Pittsburgh. Suarez alone wouldn’t solve Pittsburgh’s offensive problems, but he would be a good start to revamping the middle of the lineup.
2. Cincinnati Reds
Suarez emerged as a star during his first stint with the Reds, hitting at least 25 home runs four times and was on pace for a 40-home run season during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He was traded to the Mariners before the 2022 season but remained on the Reds’ radar, as they reportedly were. interested in a reunion before the 2025 trade deadline.
That interest could extend to Suarez’s freedom of choice. Reds third basemen rankings 26th in the main class with a .637 OPS and 24th with 14 home runs. The Reds may have their third baseman of the future, Sal Stewart, in prospect, but first baseman Spencer Steer has failed to repeat his strong 2023 rookie campaign. Gavin Lux served as Cincinnati’s primary design hitter and is best used as a utility option. Suarez could fill several holes in the lineup for a team looking to return to the postseason in 2026.
3. Detroit Tigers
Third base was one of the biggest holes in Detroit’s 2025 lineup. Detroit’s third basemen hit just 11 home runs and scored 27th in the main class with a .628 OPS. Utilityman Zack McKinstry took over as the Tigers’ primary third baseman and had a solid year, making his first All-Star Game and winning the Silver Slugger for utility players, but he was part of Detroit’s second-half struggle. He posted a batting line of .213/.278/.378 in 180 plate appearances after the All-Star Breakhitting four home runs and nine doubles.
A return to Detroit would be a homecoming for Suarez, as he initially signed with the Tigers as part of the 2008 international signing class. were interested bringing him back before the 2025 trade deadline before sending him to Seattle.
Suarez would be an immediate upgrade in the lineup, along with first baseman Spencer Torkelson and outfielder Riley Greene, giving Detroit a dangerous trio in the batting order. With LHP Tarik Skubal set to become a free agent after the 2026 season, the Tigers’ opportunity could quickly disappear. Adding Suarez would help make the most of what could be Skubal’s final season in Detroit.
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