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Tigers in Deadline Fight for All-Star Who Could Change Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 11:53 AM ET

The Tigers know they need bullpen help. That’s likely a given before the trade deadline. But if there’s a bat out there who fits what this team needs it might just be Eugenio Suarez.

And Detroit is going to have to fight for him.

According to ESPN’s David Schoenfield, the Tigers are one of several contenders eyeing a third base upgrade. The Yankees, Cubs and Reds are also in the mix, but Schoenfield suggests the Tigers and Mariners might have the prospect depth to get a deal done.

That matters because Suarez won’t come cheap.

It’s a reunion that makes too much sense. Detroit originally signed Suarez out of Venezuela back in 2008. He debuted with the Tigers six years later, only to be traded to Cincinnati in 2014. Now 33, he’s quietly putting together one of the best seasons of his career: 26 home runs, 69 RBIs, a .254 average, and a steady glove at third.

Plug him into this Tigers lineup and the upside’s obvious. Suarez hitting between lefties Kerry Carpenter, once he gets healthy, and Riley Greene gives Detroit a balanced middle of the order. It also lets Zach McKinstry slide back into the utility role where he’s most valuable—and protects the team against the possible regression of McKinstry, Javier Baez, Gleyber Torres, and Spencer Torkelson.

Of course, there’s real competition for Suarez.

The Mariners, another of Suarez’s old teams, need third base help, too. A reunion would correct what many in Seattle still consider a mistake.

But if the Tigers want to stay in the mix and maximize this window, Suarez may be the rare deadline move that shifts the Motor City Tigers into high gear.

. It's going to take a bold move to land him. Good thing the Tigers have the prospect capital and the history to pull it off.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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