Mariners reunite with former player in blockbuster with Diamondbacks

The deal adds to a collection of deadline moves by a Mariners club making aggressive moves for a postseason run. In recent weeks, Seattle has also landed 2024 All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor from the D-backs last week and veteran left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier Wednesday.

The return of Suárez is especially notable given Seattle’s decision to trade him away in a salary dump back in 2023. At the time, the Mariners offloaded the Suárez to Arizona for catcher Seby Zavala, now with the Boston Red Sox, and reliever Carlos Vargas. 

With Suárez having a career-year, Seattle reversed course — offering a far more substantial package to reacquire him: first baseman Tyler Locklear (the club’s No. 9 prospect), along with right-handed pitchers Hunter Cranton (No. 16) and Juan Burgos (No. 17).

Suárez’s value goes beyond his power at the plate. He brings playoff experience — with the majority of it in a Mariners uniform — and a proven October track record. In eight career postseason games, he’s posted a .300/.344/.467 slash line. His best stretch came with Seattle, where he slashed .350/.381/.600 across five games, including a home run, two doubles and three RBI.

With 312 career home runs and 36 this season, Suárez could be the missing piece Seattle needs to fully elevate its offense. The Mariners currently rank 11th in MLB in slugging — and with Suárez back in the fold, that number may be trending upward.

The Mariners ended Wednesday tied with the Texas Rangers for the final AL wild-card spot and trail the Houston Astros by five games in the AL West — a division Seattle haven’t captured since 2001. Bringing back Suárez could change that.