With less than a week left until the MLB Trade Deadline, the Arizona Diamondbacks are among the teams that are potential big sellers. They have a talented team with reliable young players, but they need to revitalize their team. One big way is to make a big move like trading third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
Suarez Becomes a Great Trade Asset for a Desperate Team
The Arizona Diamondbacks have been open to trading one of the biggest hitters in the entire league for most of the trade deadline push. Suarez is having his best season in his career, coming off his second-ever All-Star Game performance at 34 years old. He potentially has one of the top single-game performances all year with a four-home run game in the Diamondbacks’ 8-7 loss in extra innings to the Atlanta Braves on April 26.
Suarez has accounted for 36 home runs this season, which is the fourth-most in the league entering Thursday’s games. He has accounted for 64 runs, 93 hits, 86 RBIs, a batting average of .252, an on-base percentage of .325, and a slugging percentage of .593 on 110 strikeouts.
There are reportedly 12 teams interested in trading for the third baseman at his prime. One of those teams interested in him is the Cincinnati Reds, where he spent seven seasons from 2015 to 2021. The Diamondbacks are not holding back on what they want in a potential trade for Suarez before the deadline. The latest report from MLB insider Mark Feinsand is that Arizona is asking for “a ton” for Suarez. They are also likely to hang on to Suarez and attempt to re-sign him in the off-season.
The Diamondbacks are one of the most efficient batting teams in the league. Having Suarez emerge as one of the top batters and home run hitters this season has been a big plus. The biggest concern for Arizona isn’t their lack of talent at the plate, but mostly their lack of balanced pitching and young elite prospects. A trade with another could solve that issue.
Reds Need Their Elite Offensive Player Back on the Roster
For a team like the Cincinnati Reds, they need as much help as possible to raise their chances for either an NL Wild Card playoff spot or to win the NL Central Division. The Reds are going into Friday with an overall record of 53-50, coming off a 5-0 road win over the Washington Nationals after losing the previous three games, after being outscored 19-11.
On Thursday, the Reds were ranked 17th in the league in total bases accounted for (1,360), while the Reds were fourth (1,557). Cincinnati has accounted for 107 home runs (18th most in the league) while the Arizona Diamondbacks have accounted for 147 (fifth most in the league). Cincinnati needs more support at the plate outside of their top players in shortstop Elly De La Cruz, centerfielder T.J. Friedl, first baseman Spencer Steer, and second baseman Matt McLain.
Suarez was a reliable player at the plate when he played for the Reds. Cincinnati has its best opportunity to contend with its divisional rivals, the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers. The Reds, however, lack the offensive production of their rivals. Trading for their former player, Suarez, would solve a lot of their problems. The Reds would have to create an extensive package to not only draw interest from the Diamondbacks but to separate themselves from other interested teams.
Eugenio Suarez Finds Way Back to Former Team in Potential Trade