Opinion: Reds emphasize power over consistency in bringing back Eugenio Suarez

3 weeks ago - Sportingbase

The Cincinnati Reds were very pleased as an organization the first time they had third baseman Eugenio Suarez of Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela on their roster. He was a National League All-Star with the Reds in 2018, and had 189 home runs in 916 games over seven seasons from 2014 to 2021.

On Tuesday, the Reds announced that Suarez would be in Cincinnati for a second time, as they are bringing back a slugger who is very familiar to the organization. According to Mark Sheldon of mlb.com, the Reds are signing Suarez to a one-year deal worth $15 million.

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This is the second time in Suarez’s career he has had two separate stints with the same Major League Baseball team. He was with the Seattle Mariners in 2022 and 2023, before joining them for the stretch run in 2025. Suarez also has spent one season in his Major League Baseball career with the Detroit Tigers (as a rookie in 2014), and with the Arizona Diamondbacks for two seasons from 2024 to 2025.

In 2025, Suarez was an All-Star for the second time. He batted .228 with 49 home runs and 118 runs batted in. During 159 games, 588 at bats, and 657 plate appearances, Suarez scored 91 runs and 134 hits, 28 doubles, four stolen bases, 46 walks, 309 total bases, seven sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .298, and a slugging percentage of .526.

By acquiring Suarez, one needs to remember that the Reds are acquiring a slugger who has great power but not great consistency when hitting a baseball. He only batted .189 with the Mariners last season, and has led the American League twice, and Major League Baseball once in most number of times a player has struck out in a season. The Reds fan base and organization as a whole are familiar with Suarez’s power, and it is his home run totals, is what contributed to the one-year deal.