At the present trade deadline, one of the best rental bats is available. The two-time All-Star is putting up a dominant season at a .250 average, 31 home runs, and leading the National League in RBIs with 78. His .889 OPS is a result of great contact hitting, which ranks him in the top 15% of the league in both Barrels and Hard-Hit rates. As an out-of-contract player, he is the ideal short-term, impactful free agent target for a contending team. And most importantly, he already knows where he wants to play. It’s not the Bronx.
According to a recent report from the Detroit Free Press, All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez has publicly expressed his interest in a reunion. He wants to return to the Detroit Tigers, the team he joined in the draft. “Baseball is baseball. I might be finishing where everything started. It doesn’t sound crazy. We’ll see,” Suárez shared just one day before playing in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.
Suárez has strong ties to Detroit. He signed with the Tigers out of Venezuela in 2008 and made his MLB debut in 2014. Though he was traded after that season, he’s been following the current Tigers team closely. He spoke highly of their young talent and said they pose a legitimate threat. “They got, for me, the best pitcher in the league right now: Tarik Skubal,” Suárez mentioned. “They got a bunch of good players. I think they really have a chance to win it all this year.”
Now, this confession kinda puts the New York Yankees in a difficult position.
The Detroit Free Press article specifically names the Yankees as one of the “potential suitors” for Suárez. But the slugger’s choice is now out in the open. But he conceded that other teams would be in the mix, too. “All 30 teams are going to be on the list, and Detroit is going to be one of those.” For the Yankees, this is no longer just a bidding war; this is a battle against a homecoming story.
The Yankees conundrum: A glaring need and limited options
The New York Yankees have a black hole at third base. Last season’s World Series contenders have turned that position into an offensive liability. The move to return Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base showed how deeply they’ve been exposed at the position.
The results from internal options haven’t been much better. Oswald Peraza, entrusted with the job for the first half of the season, has been a non-factor offensively. He is hitting just .214 with a meager .487 OPS. A contending team cannot continue to have this low level of production, so an external acquisition is a must.
It’s not just a matter of one player not living up to expectations. It’s a systemic problem. The team has used Peraza, Jorbit Vivas, and J.C. Escarra at the spot. Not one of those provided a real solution for a team with championship aspirations. The versatile Oswaldo Cabrera, despite a hot stretch, is seen as a utility player.
Now, the Yankees’ front office has to confront a cold reality. Their in-house pipeline hasn’t filled the starting third base gap, so they have no choice at the trade deadline. They need to come up with an answer, and soon.
If Suárez does, in fact, go to Detroit, then Brian Cashman will have to pivot. The alternative third-base market is not without risky compromises. Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Ke’Bryan Hayes is a defensive wizard. He has an impressive +13 Outs Above Average. However, his bat is a “total liability,” and his wRC+ is 39% worse than league average. They would be swapping one problem for another in adding him. It would fill defensive holes and not actually address the offensive issues.
And then there is Ryan McMahon of the Colorado Rockies, who brings some legit power. The biggest red flag, though? His massive home-road splits. He mashes in Coors Field, but he hits .189 on the road. Acquiring him might be a massive bet on whether his bat will play. And then there are fading stars like Nolan Arenado, who has a huge contract and declining numbers. Each options leave the Yankees in a risky place.
This makes losing out on Suárez an even tougher pill to swallow for the New York faithful. Plus, the Yankees aren’t the only team that has Suárez on their radar.
The Chicago Cubs are in a very close race, and they are producing almost nothing out of the third base position. The Seattle Mariners could also benefit from Suárez’s power to pair up with their fabulous rotation. Well, we can hope that by the trade deadline, we will have our answers clear…
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