One of the best bats in MLB free agency, Eugenio Suarez, has yet to decide on where he’ll play in 2026. While there’s a ton of speculation, one landing spot that has been brought up is the Athletics.
In a recent article from MLB Trade Rumors that predicted free agent signings, Anthony Franco had the Athletics as the landing spot for Suarez.
Franco explained that, “Teams seeking additional power but unwilling to go to the lengths necessary to sign Schwarber or Alonso have a more budget-friendly option in Suarez…enough to command at least a two-year deal with a hearty annual value, and if interest is sufficient enough for a third year, he could very well top the $60MM deal Walker secured with the Astros last offseason”
At 34 years old, Suarez should provide production for 2026, but not much is guaranteed after that. While considering age as a factor, we’ll break down if the Athletics make sense for Suarez.
More MLB Content From TWSN
The Dream Free Agent Signing For Every MLB Team
Tom Ricketts Is Ruining the Chicago Cubs
The Los Angeles Dodgers Are The Greatest Dynasty Of The Last 10 Years
Eugenio Suarez Predicted to Sign With The Athletics
Coming off a fantastic 2025 season, Suarez is going to have a very competitive market in free agency. Last season, Suarez made the All-Star game, posted 3.6 WAR, 49 home runs, a .228 batting average, and a .298 OBP.
On Baseball Savant, Suarez was in the 89th percentile for Batting Run Value, but the 7th for Baserunning Run Value and the 26th for Fielding Run Value.
Suarez also had an xSLG mark of .450, which was in the 70th percentile. However, his fielding value mark was down at -3.
The stats tell you exactly what you need to know, which is that Suarez hits for power, but he’s not a great defender. In the modern MLB, that’s still going to leave him with plenty of suitors.
Does Eugenio Suarez Fit With The Athletics?
While Suarez is a great player and could fit on a number of teams, the idea of him joining the Athletics was a bit confusing to me. Coming off a 76-86 season, this was by far their best year since 2021.
At the same time, though, given the Athletics’ roster and what they did last year, it’s hard to see them making the playoffs next year or in the next few years. Of course, the Athletics want to get better and win more games, but they should be prioritizing youth.
Now that doesn’t even need to come in the form of only adding prospects. It would make sense for the Athletics to make some free agent moves that help them get better for 2026.
The players that they should be targeting are those who are 29 years old or younger, though. Suarez is nearing the end of his career, and he doesn’t necessarily fit the Athletics’ timeline.
There’s also a chance that he’s not going to want to spend his last few years playing for a team that doesn’t have a good chance of being super competitive.
Eugenio Suarez Stats
In terms of stats, it’s not as if 2024 was the first year that Suarez has had some great numbers. When Suarez was with the Cincinnati Reds, he had 34 home runs and made the All-Star Game in 2018, and he also had 49 home runs the year after.
MLB teams want to win games, and Eugenio Suarez could help the Athletics do that in 2026. When trying to look out for the Athletics’ long-term future, though, passing up on Suarez for another younger free agent would make a lot of sense for this organization.