Mariners trade third baseman Eugenio Suarez to Diamondbacks
SEATTLE – As part of their offseason quest to reduce the number of strikeouts in their lineup, the Mariners were willing to sacrifice some the good vibes brought on a daily basis by Eugenio Suarez.
On Wednesday, in what is becoming a bit of a tradition of making news on the day before Thanksgiving, the organization traded the popular third baseman to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed pitcher Carlos Vargas and backup catcher Seby Zavala.
“First off, I want to thank Geno for his contributions over the past two years, on and off the field. The day he walked in, he told us ‘good vibes only’ and he brought that mantra to our clubhouse and our fans, he’s truly one of kind and we’re lucky to have had him as part of our club.” president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in a statement.
“Adding Seby and Carlos is another step toward building the type of deep roster that is required at the Major-League level. Seby is an experienced catcher with excellent defensive skills who will team with Cal (Raleigh) behind the plate. And Carlos is a young reliever with the type of ‘big stuff’ that our staff has done a wonderful job developing over the years.”
Suarez, 31, had a down season at the plate compared to past seasons. He posted a .232/.323./.391 slash line with 28 doubles, 22 homers, 96 RBIs and 214 strikeouts. While he has always been prone to swinging and missing, Suarez’s power numbers and bat speed dipped enough from the 2022 season to 2023 season to be of concern.
Besides reducing the number of projected strikeouts in the lineup, it also takes a larger salary off the payroll. Suarez was set to make $11 million in 2024, which is the last guaranteed year of his contract. The Mariners also had a $2 million buyout for a $15 million club option in 2025.
Vargas, who turns 24 in March, is a hard-throwing reliever with a fastball that touches 100 mph. He made five relief appearances for Arizona as a rookie in 2023, posting a 5.79 ERA with seven strikeouts and four walks in 4⅔ innings.
Pitching for Triple-A Reno in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, posting a 1-1 record with a 7.02 ERA in 38 appearances. In 42⅓ innings pitched, he struck out 36 batters and walked 32.
The Mariners have proven that they can take talented but somewhat underperforming or inexperienced pitchers and find ways to develop them into key contributors. Could they turn Vargas into another Andres Munoz or Matt Brash?
Zavala, 30, will serve as a backup catcher to Raleigh next season. He has a career .210/.275/.347 slash line in 176 MLB games.
Unless there is another acquisition or trade, the Mariners’ 40-man roster doesn’t have a true third baseman on it. There also isn’t immediate help in the minor league system.
With the current roster, infielder Luis Urias, who Seattle acquired from the Red Sox last week, would project as the starting third baseman. Urias is coming off an injury-riddled 2023 season where he posted a .194/.337/.299 slash line 52 combined games between the Brewers and Red Sox.
Once one of the top prospects in baseball while with the Padres, he did hit a combined 39 homers between the 2021-2022 seasons.