While there is no doubt that the Cubs‘ top priority is finding more pitching at the trading deadline, which is inching closer, now just nine days away, they’re also more than a little curious about beefing up a team strength: the offense. According to veteran MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Cubs have sought a trade with the Diamondbacks for slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
It would be a major upgrade from current third baseman Matt Shaw, who has been the only dead spot int he team’s lineup. Shaw is batting .216 with a .609 OPS for a team that is hitting .256 collectively, with an OPS of .771. The Cubs are fourth in MLB in both batting average and OPS this season, so they can afford to carry Shaw.
But Heyman reports that the Cubs are in on Suarez, one of three teams that have had contact with the Diamondbacks about him. “Yankees, Mariners and Cubs are among teams to inquire on Eugenio Suarez, whose 36 HR leads the NL (and is tied with Judge, 2 behind Raleigh),” Heyman wrote on Twitter/X.
Cubs Have Room for Eugenio Suarez Trade
While the Cubs have a need for pitching, with injuries watering down the rotation, there are not all that many high-impact arms on the market. Making a move for a middling starter while also adding Suarez might be the best way for the Cubs to maximize their assets and bolster the lineup for a lengthy playoff run.
Suarez is batting .257 with his 36 homers and a league-high 86 RBIs, and a .933 OPS that ranks No. 7 in baseball.
There are concerns about his defense, but the Cubs would obviously be willing to work around that if it meant adding his power to a lineup that has scored 527 runs, No. 2 in baseball.
On Monday, former MLB GM Jim Bowden wrote that the Cubs were looking at adding pitching depth. But, in The Athletic, he also noted that the team would have an interest in Suarez, too.
“They would love to land a third baseman such as the Diamondbacks’ Eugenio Suárez or the Rockies’ Ryan McMahon, among others. Like most contending teams, the Cubs also would like to add depth to their bullpen,” Bowden wrote.
The Cubs, after a blowout loss to the Royals on Monday, are now 59-41, a game behind the Brewers for the best record in MLB.
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