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Aug 15, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) hits an RBI double against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Free Agent Third Baseman Pirates Should Target

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 7:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates need more offensive production if they want to make the postseason in 2026 and one free agent third baseman could provide that.

Eugenio Suarez is one of the best hitting third basemen in baseball currently and is out of contract at the end of this season.

He played for both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners this season and finished his regular season with a slash line of .228/.298/.526 for an OPS of .824 in 159 games, with 134 hits, 28 doubles, 49 home runs, 118 RBIs and 46 walks to 196 strikeouts.

Suarez ranked fifth in baseball with 49 home runs, which also tied his career high in 2019.

The Pirates struggled from the plate, but especially with their lack of power, hitting 117 home runs as a team in 2025. This was the lowest mark in the MLB and 31 home runs less then the next team, the St. Louis Cardinals, who hit 148.

Pittsburgh also had the worst OPS (.655) and slugging percentage (.350) in all of the MLB.

They also haven't had a strong hitting third baseman, moving on from Gold Glove Award winner Ke'Bryan Hayes ahead of the trade deadline, sending him to the Cincinnati Reds on July 30.

Hayes, who was in the middle of an eight-year, $70 million contract, finished this season with the lowest slugging percentage (.306) and the second lowest OPS (.596), plus the 14th lowest on-base percentage (.290) and 24th lowest batting average (.235).

Suarez would serve as a massive boost for the Pirates, with only five other players having more home runs than him since 2018.

His best success came in 2018 with the Reds, slashing .283/.366/.526 for an OPS of .892 in 143 games with 34 home runs, earning an All-Star nod.

Suarez also made history this season, hitting four home runs in an 8-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Chase Field on April 26. He was just the 19th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a game, the third player to do so in a game he lost and the second player to do hit all four home runs in four plate appearances.

He has never hit less than 21 home runs in season in his career where he played more than a 100 games, which is more than any Pirates player had this season, with center fielder Oneil Cruz leading with 20 home runs.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report also named the Pirates as a "dark horse" suitor for Suarez this offseason.

Spotrac puts the market value of Suarez at two years, $29.9 million, or about $15 million per season. That would make him, if the Pirates signed him, the highest paid position player and the second highest paid player in 2026, behind right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller, who will make $16.9 million.

The Pirates haven't signed a multi-year deal for a position player in almost a decade, since signing John Jaso for two years and $8 million back on Dec. 23, 2015.

Ruter argues that Pittsburgh has too much pitching talent, led by All-Star Paul Skenes, to waste 2026 and adding Suarez would be a great way to do that.

"The Buccos desperately need more home runs to support what already could be a postseason-caliber pitching staff," Miller wrote. "And while Suárez fell barely shy of 50 home runs, Pirates third basemen collectively managed just six in 2025. It's a signing that could significantly raise Pittsburgh's ceiling in 2026, but will it actually spend money on a multi-year deal for a change?"

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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