Eugenio Suarez heads to AL playoff team in big-time trade

Eugenio Suarez is on the move at the stroke of midnight on MLB trade deadline day.

The Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Suarez is headed to the Seattle Mariners in a blockbuster trade, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported early Thursday morning. The move ends Suarez’s time in Arizona after just one and a half seasons.

Daniel Kramer of MLB.com adds that the D-backs are receiving first baseman Tyler Locklear and two pitching prospects from the Mariners in exchange for Suarez.

Suarez, a righty batter, was widely regarded as the top hitter available on the trade market this year. The two-time All-Star had clubbed 36 home runs to go along with an MLB-leading 87 RBIs through 105 games this season for the D-backs (albeit on an underwhelming .248 batting average). Suarez also memorably had a four-homer game earlier in the year.

With Arizona quickly falling off the map this season at 51-58, it was all but a foregone conclusion that Suarez would be traded ahead of Thursday’s deadline. He did have an ill-timed scare a couple of days ago with a concerning hit-by-pitch (video here), but had since returned to the lineup for the D-backs.

As for the Mariners, they are going for it this season at 57-51 (currently good for the third and final wild-card spot in the AL). Suarez had some major MLB teams inquiring about him in recent days, but Seattle ended up winning the sweepstakes for him.

The 34-year-old Suarez, who is capable of playing both third base and shortstop, now heads to a very fitting team. After all, the Mariners just traded for one of Suarez’s former teammates in Arizona a matter of days ago.