The Cincinnati Reds are reuniting with a familiar name.
the Reds have agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract with third baseman Eugenio Suárez. The deal includes a mutual option for the 2027 season, though the team has not yet made the signing official.
Suarez, 34, previously played in Cincinnati from 2015 to 2021 and enjoyed the most productive stretch of his career with the Reds. His best season came in 2019, when he smashed 49 home runs. Last year, Suárez split time between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners, batting .228/.298/.526 while again reaching the 49-homer mark.
His performance dipped after a midseason trade, which may have affected his free-agent value. Before the deal, Suárez posted an .897 OPS; afterward, that number dropped to .682.
We ranked Suárez as the 14th-best free agent this offseason, and he entered February as the top remaining hitter on the market.
At the plate, Suárez is a high-risk, high-reward hitter. He generates significant power and draws walks, but he also strikes out at a high rate and ranks near the bottom of the league in whiffs. Much of that swing-and-miss comes against pitches located up and in. As he approaches his 35th birthday in July, questions remain about his defense and overall durability. Still, when his bat is productive, Suárez remains capable of anchoring the middle of a lineup.
Defensively, Ke’Bryan Hayes remains Cincinnati’s primary third baseman and is under contract through 2028. One of the best defenders at the position, Hayes is not expected to lose playing time, meaning Suárez will likely see most of his action as a designated hitter while also getting occasional time at first base.
That could reduce opportunities for current first baseman Spencer Steer and top prospect Sal Stewart, with all three hitters batting right-handed.
The Reds reached the postseason last year by winning a tiebreaker over the New York Mets, but the offense was inconsistent. Cincinnati finished 14th in runs scored and 21st in home runs—solid but unspectacular numbers. Before adding Suárez, the Reds’ only offensive moves this offseason were the acquisitions of platoon outfielders JJ Bleday and Dane Myers.
Cincinnati finished 83–79 in 2025, matching its best record since 2021. It marked the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2020 and its first postseason berth in a full 162-game season since 2013.