Arizona Diamondbacks opt to bring back former popular Seattle Mariners infielder

The Arizona Diamondbacks opted to bring back former Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez on Friday, picking up his team option.

Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN on social media:

According to a source, Diamondbacks INF Eugenio Suarez is being optioned for 2025. It’s for $15 million.

The decision was superficially easy because Suarez had an overall great year for Arizona. Although the Diamondbacks missed the playoffs, Suarez hit .256 with 30 home runs and 101 RBI. He also played in 158 games, once again proving how durable he is. He has played a full season almost every season since 2016.

While the question was easy on the surface, it wasn’t easy under the hood. Suarez, a very streaky player, hit only .172 in the month of May and .156 in the month of June. He hit just .216 at the All-Star break.

While it appears the Diamondbacks plan to use him in 2025, there is still a chance he could be outplayed this season.

The Mariners traded him to Arizona last offseason in that salary dump move that netted them backup catcher Seby Zavala and a promising prospect. The M’s acquired Suarez before the 2022 season and he immediately became a fan favorite due to his good attitude and ability to hit home runs.

Suarez had 31 home runs and 87 RBI for the M’s in 2022 as they broke the drought and advanced to the playoffs. He added 22 home runs and 96 RBI for the 2023 team that missed the playoffs by just one game. Trading him was billed by the front office as a way to reduce strikeouts (he led the American League in strikeouts each of those years), but it was clearly just a way to reduce his $11 million salary last season , another in a series of frustrating penny-pinching moves.

Suarez is a one-time All-Star who spent 11 years with the Cincinnati Reds. Sailors, Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers.

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