Eugenio Suárez Explains Why Coming Back to Cincinnati Felt Right

Cincinnati – Eugenio Suarez is back! The Reds made it official, the two-time All-Star is back with Cincinnati after signing a one-year, $15 million contract on Tuesday.

"It's perfect." Suarez said in his media availability. "That's why I'm here, because it's perfect. Perfect workout. Everything right now, it's perfect. Beautiful, happy, and I'm very excited to be back home."

Suarez played seven seasons with the Reds from 2015 through 2021. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2022, prior to the start of the season, and just three years into his seven-year contract he signed in 2018.

When asked about why he chose to come back to Cincinnati, Suarez made it clear that Cincinnati is a very important city for him and his family.

I" mean, first of all, the Reds were the team that I almost, in the off-season, talked to my agents about. They were always asking. They always were, you know, in turn to bring me back. And when you see, when you put everything together, it made it easy for me to be back home."

He later added why the city is so important to him.

"I still have my part of my family here,” Suarez said. "My daughter was born here. My wife and I think we made a good decision to be back here."

He also added how important winning is to him.

"Obviously, when you put the chance for me to win the World Series, or going to the World Series," Suarez said. "I think the chance to win, the chance to bring the playoffs to the city, and the chance that we have with me and make a playoff and winning it all, it was high. So that's why I think that made everything easier, you know, more than the personal-wise."

Suarez wanted to play for the Reds. He added that it wasn't about the years in the contract, it was about where he wanted to be.

"No, it's not years," he said when asked if he left years or AAV on the table with other teams. "It wasn't about years. It's about where you want to be, you know. We worked on two years and we put it together. We got one year with a mutual auction that is basically to make the deal better for both sides. So that's what we're looking for."

One thing is certain, he is happy to be back in Cincinnati.

"I say that at the time, maybe I ended my career in Cincinnati, and five years later, here I am." Suarez said. "God's time is perfect. Like I always say, God being good for me, being good for my family, and for my career. I think this is the gift, you know, to be back where everybody knows you and be back where you feel comfortable, where you feel very, very happy to be. And like I say, I feel so good. I feel glad to be back here."

"I mean, whatever he needs from me, I'll be there." Suarez said when asked about Elly De La Cruz. "You know, he has a talent. He knows what he can do on the field, right? And, you know, whatever he needs from me, I will help him. I know how good he is. And he might help me too a lot. And like I say, I came here to help the team win games and be the best version of the Cincinnati Reds. And that causes me to be one of the guys who helped those young kids be better, not only on the field, but off the field. Whatever Elly needs from me, I already have text from him and it's very good to have it. And I'll be there for him, for him. Not only for him, for everybody on this team."

Suarez is the perfect fit for what the Reds need right now: a veteran leader that not only performs at a high level on the field, but is a great role model for young, talented players.

He hit 52 home runs in 2025, 49 in the regular season, and three in the playoffs. He hit four home runs in a game and had multiple multi-home run games. In seven seasons with the Reds, he hit 189 home runs with the Reds, good for 13th on the franchise's all-time list. He is 192 home runs away from breaking Johnny Bench's record of 381 and is 81 home runs away from being inside the top five.

Pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training on Monday, February 9, while full squad members join on the following Monday.

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