Mariners Can Bring Eugenio Suárez Back After Reds’ Waiver Move Changes the Equation
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Could the good vibes return to Seattle? Again? Eugenio Suárez has had more Mariners reunions than most players get farewell videos, and somehow the door is cracked open for another one. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Suárez was placed on outright waivers, giving the other 29 clubs 48 hours to claim him. This apparently happened officially on Tuesday, so there are only a few hours left before he becomes a free agent. But if Seattle wins a claim, it assumes the nearly $3 million remaining on his contract.
One year ago, the Mariners sent first baseman Tyler Locklear and pitchers Hunter Cranton and Juan Burgos to Arizona to bring Suárez back for a pennant run. The M’s traded prospects for a 34-year-old rental because it needed power and personality at the hot corner. Geno eventually supplied one of the loudest swings in franchise history, crushing an eighth-inning grand slam in Game 5 of the ALCS.
Reds’ Waiver Move Changes What Eugenio Suárez Would Cost the Mariners
After a somewhat disappointing return to the Reds, they’ve tossed that same player onto the waiver wire. No trade this time, the bill is cash, a roster spot and a willingness to live with the messy parts left in Geno’s game.
Suárez is now 35, owns a .705 OPS through 103 games and has appeared more frequently at DH than third base. His 19 home runs show that the pop hasn’t completely left the bat. The strikeouts and declining defense explain why every contender didn’t line up for him at the trade deadline.
Seattle would be claiming a streaky right-handed power bat who can still punish a mistake. That can play for a final-month sprint, especially for a club trapped in the strangest division race imaginable.
The Mariners entered Thursday at 64-70. That record usually tells a team to begin making dinner plans for October. This year, it leaves Seattle only 2 1/2 games behind Houston in the AL West and four games from the final Wild Card position. The standings have left the door cracked, and the Mariners should walk through it.
Suárez already knows the clubhouse, the city, the ballpark and the pressure that comes with a Seattle lineup searching for one more big swing. His assignment should still be to provide DH at-bats, late-inning pop and bring some life into a team that cannot afford to sleepwalk through September.
Good vibes are the bonus. Nineteen home runs, postseason experience and no prospect cost are the baseball case.
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Tremayne Person is the Publisher for Mariners On SI and the Site Expert at Friars on Base, with additional bylines across FanSided’s MLB division. He founded the Keep It Electric podcast in 2023 and covers baseball with a blend of analysis, context, and a little well-timed side-eye just to keep things honest. Tremayne grew up a Mariners fan in Richmond, Va., and that passion ultimately led him to move to Seattle to cover the team closely and become a regular at home games. Through his writing, he connects with fans who want a deeper, more personal understanding of the game. When he’s not at T-Mobile Park, he’s with his dog, gaming, or finding the next storyline worth digging into.
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