The Diamondbacks are picking up their $15MM option on Eugenio Suárez, reports Jesse Rogers of ESPN (on X). The deal would have come with a $2MM buyout, effectively rendering it a $13MM decision.
Just a few months ago, the Diamondbacks wouldn’t have envisioned making this decision. Suárez got out to a terrible start to the season, his first in the desert after an offseason trade with the Mariners. He went into the All-Star Break with a .216/.302/.366 slash while striking out in nearly 29% of his plate appearances. Arizona considered bumping him out of the starting lineup in deference to rookie infielder Blaze Alexander.
A monster second half not only salvaged his starting job but locked in that extra $13MM. Suárez was one of the game’s hottest hitters after the Break. He mashed at a .307/.341/.602 clip with 20 homers in his final 65 games. He cut his strikeout rate by a few percentage points while running a three-month power barrage. By the end of the season, he’d pushed his numbers to a .256/.319/.469 line with 30 homers across 640 plate appearances. After accounting for the difference in his home park, that’s not far off the cumulative .234/.327/.423 showing he posted over his final two seasons in Seattle.
Suárez essentially played at the level Arizona expected, albeit in extremely streaky fashion. It would’ve been surprising for the Diamondbacks to cut him loose on the heels of that monster finish. He’s a potential offseason trade candidate, though. Bringing Suárez back blocks the clearest path to playing time for top prospect Jordan Lawlar. The Snakes have Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte locked into the middle infield.
The 22-year-old Lawlar lost most of this year to injury. He only appeared in 23 minor league games and didn’t see any MLB action despite making his big league debut late in the ’23 season. Lawlar still has minor league options remaining, so the Snakes could keep him in Triple-A for another year. If they feel he’ll be ready for an extended audition early next season, shopping Suárez could allow them to reallocate salary while recouping value they wouldn’t have received if they’d bought out the option.
Option decisions on Jordan Montgomery and Suárez push Arizona’s projected payroll to roughly $137MM, as calculated by RosterResource. An easy option call to retain Merrill Kelly will add another $6MM. Arizona opened this past season with a franchise-record payroll in the $163MM range. If they’re willing to replicate that, they’ll have some leeway to replace free agents Christian Walker and Joc Pederson. Trades of Montgomery and/or Suárez could clear a good bit more money if ownership doesn’t want to match this year’s spending. They won’t find a taker for the entirety of Montgomery’s $22.5MM deal, but teams like the Yankees, Blue Jays or Astros could be willing to give up talent while taking Suárez’s salary off the books.
Image courtesy of USA TODAY Network.
one year $15M isn’t bad for Geno. I’m more interested in how they plan to cover 1B and DH with Walker, Patterson and Bell all free agents.
Pavin Smith played well, albeit a small sample size. He may take one of the openings, but yeah, they have work to do.
Won’t take much of a plan. Replacing 30 something 1b dh is about the easiest thing you could do.
Who’s Patterson?
I believe Patterson is the autocorrect spelling of Peterson.
But what is the autocorrect for Pederson?
FIrst half he didn’t deserve it but he was such a great clubhouse guy. Love to root for him. Playwd great defense and second half he killed it. Good for him!
No-brainer. Relatively inexpensive power and good clubhouse presence
In Detroit, we call that a no brainer. Fair market price for his stats are at least 25 million ore ,more per year. Perhaps 30, because Detroit tried to buy lessor stats 3 years ago with Baez. That was 25 per year then. This is now, a no brainer signing.
Baez and Suarez are not comps, sorry.
Both are, ahem, former top shortstops for the Tigers.
Good for Geno.
Detroit would have traded him.
They did trade him. For Alfredo Simon. In 2014.
Rather than add a first baseman, move Suarez to 1st and start Lawlar at 3rd. If it implodes, move Suarez back to 3rd and start Smith at 1st. Use the money they’d spend on Walker to bolster other areas of need. Lawlar needs to be in MLB in 2025.
I love Geno! Good for him. Great veteran in the clubhouse, too
Instead of re-signing Newman as the utility Infielder, install Lawler as the Utility Infielder/DH/PH. He gets reps filling in at SS/3b and 2b and plenty AtBats.
Pavin Smith takes over at 1b. The Dbacks can prioritize a Closer/back end of the bullpen arm. Carry 3 catchers to get Del Castillo’s bat on the lineup, functioning as a left handed bat to platoon with Lawler at DH.
Start the season with a 6 man starting rotation and adjust back to a five man starting rotation if necessary.
Team is complete. Salary commitment reduced.
What would you do with Blaze Alexander – depth at AAA, trade him? Has he played any OF? Could he be a super utility guy (2B, 3B, LF, RF and DH)?
Angels
That’s a very good question? I think he could highlight a trade package to pick up a closer like Williams from the Brewers, who has only 1 year left on his contract. Brewers lost Adames so need a SS.
That is a smart move by the Diamondbacks. Suarez has been a reliable power hitter for years. and still remains so.
Now, Trade him back to the Mariners!
Mariners…damn. Why. One of the worst trades in their history, if not the worst. 3B Eugenio Suarez to the Arizona Diamondbacks for RHP Carlos Vargas and C Seby Savala. The trade that single handedly cost us a playoff berth in 2024, and maybe even the American League West. Definite 86-76 record if Suarez would have stayed with us, and with his 30 homers and 101 RBI’s and .256 average, with the Mariners pitching, you’re all of a sudden at a projected 90-win season. Cut those numbers in half, you’re still ahead of Detroit and KC. This trade was made to cut down on strikeouts. Look at these stats:
-Mariners had 73 less RBI’s than 2023.
-Mariners had 25 less homers than 2023.
-Mariners had a team average of .224 in 2024, compared to .242 in 2023.
Suarez would have solved this single handedly. Worst trade in history. Combined, Luis Urias and Josh Rojas hit .218, 12 HR, 47 RBI compared to Suarez .256, 30 HR, 101 RBI’s and missed the playoff’s by 1 game. Signed through the 2024 season Suarez would’ve only cost $9.4 million at seven year $66 million contract. Luis Urias and Josh Rojas cost a combined $8.1 million. That’s about a $1.3 million differential for way higher production! The Mariners also only saved 34 strikeouts with this who debacle.
Suarez’s stats would have looked worse playing in Seattle’s terrible hitter park. FIX THE HITTER”S BACKGROUND!
This was pretty much automatic. I can’t believe that 20% of the voters voted to let him go.
seriously?
c’mon
How come Diamondbacks fans don’t seem to want Walker back or are resigned to the fact he is gone ?
Dbacks fans want Walker back. He’s a Gold Glover with pop and solid plate control. I think Dbacks fans have seen a lot of players leave via free agency if they reach that point. Their best bet is to sign a player to an extention before reaching free agency. If Walker is fielding offers around 2-3 years at $48-72M, I think the Dbacks will be outbid. That said, if Walker hangs around, the Dbacks will definitely step in like they did last year with Gurriel.
Lawler is getting traded to the Tigers along with Montgomery for a package that includes Tork and young MLB ready pitching not named Jobe. Book it 😉
They don’t want Tork. They want guys who can actually hit.
Yeah. Fair enough. But he did hit 30 HR two years ago and does hit lots of doubles. He hasn’t figured things out yet but still has prospect pedigree.
Dbacks are no longer in the business of trading Top Prospects to unload unwanted contracts. Lawler will not be traded. Book it
Never say never but I agree.