Last year, Suárez hit 49 home runs with 118 RBI. There were flaws in his game as he posted a .298 on-base percentage and played below-average defense. But the power is a great trait, and he’ll bring a different look to the Reds’ lineup.
Suárez is expected to play DH, first base and third base. The Reds would be able to put out their best lineup by having Suárez at DH, Sal Stewart at first base and Spencer Steer in left field.
Suárez can give the Reds some badly needed protection behind Elly De La Cruz in the lineup. Because of the fear that Suárez can instill in opposing pitchers, teams will have to pitch more carefully to De La Cruz.
It sounds like the Reds extended their payroll to make this happen. While it wasn’t a straight line path, it ended up being a pretty straightforward pivot after the Reds missed out on Kyle Schwarber.
This offseason, the Reds successfully added an impact bat in Suárez, added depth with outfielder JJ Bleday and Dane Myers and and rebuilt their bullpen with Pierce Johnson, Caleb Ferguson and Brock Burke.
Suárez joined the Reds in 2015 as a part of the Alfredo Simon trade. With the Reds between 2015 and 2021, Suárez became an All-Star who hit .253 with 189 homers.
The Reds dealt Suárez, plus Jesse Winker, to the Mariners leading into the 2022 season in a move that launched the Reds’ rebuild. In return, the Reds added Jake Fraley, Brandon Williamson, Connor Phillips and Justin Dunn.
With the Mariners between 2021 and 2025, Suárez was a consistent power threat in the middle of the lineup for a contending team. He was known for clutch moments in the playoffs.
Credit: Kareem Elgazzar
Credit: Kareem Elgazzar
The Mariners flipped Suárez to the Diamondbacks heading into the 2025 season, but Suárez returned to the Mariners a few months later at the trade deadline. Suárez was the belle of the ball at the deadline last July, and Seattle made an aggressive move to bring him back. However, with the Mariners looking to improve their defense in 2026, they opted to not bring Suárez back.
That defense won’t make as much of a difference for a Reds team that has Ke’Bryan Hayes at third base.
Suárez wasn’t nearly as good during the second half of the season, posting a subpar .682 OPS in Seattle with a bad 35.9% strikeout rate. But even when he’s struggling, he’s still an intimidating presence as a guy who can swing a game with a big home run at any moment.
Clearly, the Reds didn’t see enough during the second half of the 2025 season to take away from their confidence in Suárez.
The Reds have been in touch with Suárez all offseason, and talks really picked up over the last week. All winter, the Reds have been focused on trying to find an impact bat.
They ended up landing one of the most dangerous bats available this winter.
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