Eugenio Suárez, the most powerful bat left on the free-agent market, is in agreement with the Cincinnati Reds on a one-year, $15 million contract with a $16 mutual option for a second season.
The deal, first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan early Sunday evening, is pending a physical.
It’s a homecoming for Suárez, 34, who spent seven years in Cincinnati following a debut season with the ’14 Detroit Tigers. He hit .253 with a .811 OPS and 189 home runs for the ’15-21 Reds, and earned his first of two career All-Star selections in ’18.
Splitting ’25 between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners, who reacquired him midseason after trading him to Arizona in November ’23, Suárez hit .228 with a .824 OPS. He matched his career-high 49 home runs, a mark he first reached with the ’19 Reds. His three postseason home runs helped Seattle make their deepest postseason run since 2001, though they fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the ALCS.
The Red Sox, though linked to Suárez at times this offseason, were not a finalist to sign him, a source told the Herald. According to several reports, the Red Sox never made him a formal offer.
Suárez, who spent the bulk of his career as a third baseman, is expected to serve primarily as the Reds’ designated hitter while also playing first and third. The Red Sox currently have Masataka Yoshida penciled in as their DH and trade acquisition Willson Contreras at first base. Candidates for the other corner include Marcelo Mayer and Romy Gonzalez.
The Red Sox have made 12 trades this offseason, most recently Sunday’s salary-dump of Jordan Hicks to the Chicago White Sox. Their lone free-agent signing is star lefty Ranger Suárez, though chief baseball officer Craig Breslow listed a power bat in the team’s top needs and priorities at last fall’s end-of-year press conference. Breslow and other club officials have reiterated as much throughout the offseason, while missing out on top free-agent hitters, including Kyle Schwarber (Phillies), Pete Alonso (Orioles), Alex Bregman (Cubs), Bo Bichette (Mets), and now Suárez.
As spring training nears, however, the front office’s priority has shifted from offense to defense.