MMO Trade Profile: Eugenio Suarez, 3B

Eugenio Suarez, 3B

Bats/Throws: R/R

Date of Birth: 7/18/1991 (29)

Traditional Stats: .202/.312/.470, 231 PA, 15 HR, 29 runs, 38 RBI, 8 2B

Advanced Stats: 0.7 bWAR, 1.1 fWAR, .332 wOBA, 104 wRC+

Rundown

This is a direct result of my colleague, Tim Ryder’s report yesterday that the Mets had recently reached out to the Reds regarding a potential trade for Eugenio Suarez and Sonny Gray. I have already done a profile on Sonny Gray.

Between 2017-2019, Suarez hit .271/.364/.521 and has averaged about 35 home runs per year over this time. Suffice to say that he would give the Mets a much needed right handed bat in the middle of the lineup. After missing out on George Springer, the Mets only have Pete Alonso and James McCann as their righties. Yes, I am intentionally leaving J.D. Davis off this list because I do not think he will be on the team come Opening Day.

The only question the Mets have to worry about is what version of Suarez will they get and whether or not he is fully healthy. After getting hurt in the pool last January, Suarez needed surgery to remove loose cartilage from his right shoulder.

The Reds claimed that Suarez that he was “100%” this past summer but his slash dipped to .202/.312/.470 this past season. He still managed to hit 15 home runs but I believe it is certainly fair to question how much the shoulder impacted him. That being said, there were signs that he was starting to turn it around in 2020 itself which should hopefully mitigate the long term concerns.

In the first “half” of the season, he hit .149/.282/.310 with a .270 wOBA , four homers, and a 63 wRC+. In the second half of the season, he hit .243/.336/.595 with a .382 wOBA, 11 homers, and a 137 wRC+. Not to mention, in the first half, his hard hit rate was just 25.4%. In the second half that figure was 41.1%. He still was not where he was in 2017-2019 but I think it’s fair to speculate that the surgery bothered him more than he let on. Just use Michael Conforto‘s 2018 season as an example of how shoulder injuries can slow players down.

As a whole, I think he is probably going to be okay in regards to his shoulder. He showed signs of progress in 2020 which is fairly encouraging. Suarez probably upgrades the position for the Mets but there is the question of his defense. He has never graded out as a particularly good fielder but hopefully he can be positioned better. Having one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball to his left will likely allow him to get better positioning and it would allow him to not worry about balls hit to his left.

Compensation 

The Nationals had discussed a Suarez trade this offseason as well. Apparently the Reds wanted Jackson Rutledge or Cade Cavalli (their first round pick in 2020). The one thing the Mets can offer that the Nationals could not was a replacement at third base, J.D. Davis would replace Suarez for the Reds at a cheaper cost.

He would not do as good a job but the Reds are trying to save money and Suarez is owed $43.5 million over the next four years. The Reds heavily backloaded his contract extension. The Reds do not seem to be committing to a rebuild but they also do not seem like they want to spend the money to build a legitimate contender. The deal would likely be Suarez for Davis and a prospect or two. Robert Dominguez (and his 100 mph fastball) comes to mind as the lottery ticket that every team would want.

My Thoughts 

Maybe. I like Suarez and think he’s a good player but it depends on the cost of acquisition. I think my choices would still be Justin Turner, a Kris Bryant salary dump, and then Suarez. Preferably in that order.