According to a report from Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Phillies have inquired about acquiring Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Eugenio Suárez in a trade. Lauber wrote that the two teams have held trade talks. Additionally, Lauber and Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports reported that the Diamondbacks were scouting Mick Abel during his July 25 Triple-A outing. Abel has a 2-2 record with a 5.04 ERA in six major league starts. In the minor leagues this season, Abel has a 7-2 record with a 2.31 ERA in 13 starts.
All signs point to the Diamondbacks trading Suárez ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.
Multiple other teams are reportedly interested in acquiring Suárez as well. Suárez is probably the best position player currently available in a trade. It is also worth noting that Suárez is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason. Suárez is also 34 amid his age-33 season. The Diamondbacks’ decision to trade Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners on July 24 indicates that they will be selling.
This season, Suárez has a .249/.321/.587 line with 36 home runs and 87 RBI in 102 games. To add to that, Suárez has a 145 wRC+ and a .246 BABIP this year. Suárez has a 0.26 BB/K rate this season. Furthermore, Suárez has a career-best 51.1% Hard-hit rate, along with a 26.3% HR/FB rate. Heading into play on July 26, Suárez ranks tied for fourth in the majors in home runs and leads the majors in RBI. The .908 OPS Suárez has ranked eighth in the majors among qualified players entering play on July 26. On July 25, Suárez appeared at first base for the first time in his major league career, playing two innings at the position. Suárez has experience at both third base and shortstop.
The Phillies need a right-handed bat to balance their lineup. Suárez would add protection for left-handed hitters Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. Having a lineup top four of Trea Turner, Schwarber, Harper, and Suárez could help mitigate some of the postseason problems the Phillies have had. Defensively, Harper would likely move to the outfield, which he is open to for the right player. Alec Bohm is currently on the injured list, so Harper could remain at first base until Bohm comes back if Suárez goes to the Phillies. Bohm does have extensive experience playing first base at the major league level. That would lead to Suárez becoming the club’s third baseman.
Bohm being traded as part of this is a possibility. During the offseason, it seemed certain that Bohm would be on the move. However, that did not happen. Another scenario involves Nick Castellanos getting traded. This would allow Harper to move to his more natural outfield position, right field, instead of left field. In addition to that aspect of things, Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently reported that the Kansas City Royals have thought about trading for Castellanos. If the Phillies move Castellanos and trade for Suárez, this opens the door for Justin Crawford to take over left field from Max Kepler. This is also contingent on the Phillies not trading Crawford in a deadline deal.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!