“My heart is always in Cincinnati,” Eugenio Suárez said nearly six months ago after his move to Cincinnati was announced. He quickly became a player the city embraced and was expected to be a major power threat for the club. However, the Cincinnati Reds’ below-par performance this season has reportedly led to a change in scenery.
The Reds splashed $15 million on the 35-year-old veteran to boost their offense and secure consecutive postseason appearances. Instead, the team is currently a basement dweller in the NL Central with a 63-71 record. Hence, with slim hopes of securing a postseason berth, offloading their most expensive player could make sense.
“The Reds have placed Eugenio Suarez on waivers,” Talkin’ Baseball quoted Ken Rosenthal on X. “Teams have 48 hours to claim Suarez, who is owed just under $3 million for the remainder of the season.”
The Reds secured a Wild Card Series berth last year, only to be beaten by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yet they still signed their most expensive contract of 2026 with Eugenio Suárez. And why not? Suárez was coming off a 49-homer season in 2025, while his slugging percentage was .526. Hence, the Reds’ offense was expected to offer a few more fireworks this season. In reality, though, the Reds rank 30th in batting average (.227) and 24th in runs scored (548).
The addition of Suárez to the roster also didn’t help much, as the designated hitter is slashing .208/.295/.410 with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs in 103 games. He also missed a month due to an oblique strain. His offensive power was the main reason the Reds went after him. For reference, he recorded a 30-homer season in four of the last five seasons.
Now, the Reds are 19.5 games back in the NL Central, leaving them with very little chance of securing a postseason berth. As a result, rather than letting Suárez walk in free agency after the season, the Reds could still save $3 million if another team acquires him. Of the $15 million owed to him for the 2026 season, roughly $3 million remains, which the Reds are looking to offload. However, considering the lack of trade interest he generated at the deadline, Cincinnati may struggle to find a suitor.
The Reds reportedly tried to trade Suárez before the deadline, but they couldn’t generate any interest. This time, the other 29 teams have 48 hours to claim Suárez for $3 million before the waiver period expires.
While the Reds’ willingness to offload Suarez comes as a good business move, he ironically had his best moment with the Reds on the same day. On Wednesday, Suarez’s grand slam helped his team score seven runs in the ninth and beat the San Francisco Giants 10-9. This may generate some interest among the suitors at this very last moment.
Despite the lack of interest at the trade deadline, the Reds should find it easier to move Suárez this time around. With the league entering the final stretch of the season, a few teams have specific needs that could be addressed by acquiring Suárez for just $3 million.
The first team could be the Arizona Diamondbacks. Suárez was with the D-backs from 2024 to 2025, hitting 30 and 36 home runs, respectively. That production could be a reason for the D-backs to make another run at him. Moreover, the D-backs are in playoff contention and sit just 9.0 games behind the Dodgers. They currently rank 15th in batting average (.244), which could improve with Suárez in the lineup.
The Seattle Mariners are another former team of Suarez, and it was with the Mariners when Suarez scored a grand slam in the 2025 ALCS Game 5. The Mariners are also in playoff contention and are just 3 games behind the Astros. So, a $3 million investment could arm up their offense in the last leg.
Maybe a change of scenery could work wonders for Suárez as well. A last-minute clutch performance could help him land on a playoff-bound team and strengthen his case ahead of free agency.
The Wrap | Fears grow over more floods in Nepal