Eugenio Suarez Could Be A Bargain

Slugger Eugenio Suarez returned to the Reds this year in what was supposed to be a cool comeback story. He’d spent the majority of his career in Cincinnati and was set to bring a veteran presence to a young lineup. Instead, he struck out every three at-bats and ended up on waivers in August.

While Suarez and the Reds have a $16MM mutual option for 2027, he’s almost certainly heading to free agency. Suarez would be one of the headliners in a thin third base market, though it’s fair to wonder how much he’ll play the field moving forward. He’s been a negative defender at the hot corner for several seasons. Cincinnati only put him out there for 50 games, and he managed -4 Defensive Runs Saved.

On the surface, Suarez’s 2026 campaign looks like an aging power hitter in clear decline. He struck out at a career-worst 33.9% clip. He swung and missed more than usual (14.3%, compared to 11.9% in his career). Suarez ranked in the second percentile in xBA and the fourth percentile for whiff rate. But let’s not bury him just yet.

Suarez went down with an oblique strain near the end of April. The injury sidelined him for exactly a month. He continued to scuffle through the All-Star Break. Oblique strains are the type of injury that can wreck a season, as the problem tends to linger.

In the final two months of the year, Suarez went on one of his vintage heaters. He put together a 46-game stretch with a dozen homers and a 141 wRC+. He trimmed the strikeout rate below 30% and walked at a hefty 13.2% clip. Suarez got his swinging-strike rate down to 13.1%.

The final numbers were underwhelming, though Suarez did still pop 26 homers in 498 plate appearances. The right-handed DH options in free agency include George Springer, Josh Bell (switch-hitter), Miguel Andujar, and Marcell Ozuna. Outside of Bell, it’s an unstable group. Taking a swing on a healthy Suarez could yield a nice return. He probably won’t cost $15MM this time around.