The Arizona Diamondbacks may have a reunion sitting right in front of them.
Eugenio Suárez was recently waived by the Cincinnati Reds, and that opens the door for contenders to chase a veteran bat for the stretch run. For Arizona, the fit is a lot cleaner than it might look on the surface.
Suárez already knows the organization, the clubhouse and the ballpark. He also proved last season that Chase Field can be a perfect place for his power to play, when he hit 49 home runs and posted an .824 OPS before the Diamondbacks traded him to Seattle at the deadline.
That history makes the idea worth a real look, especially with Arizona in the middle of a wild-card race and dealing with everything surrounding Ketel Marte. The Diamondbacks could use another established middle-of-the-order presence, and Suárez would give them that kind of insurance.
The clearest role would be as a designated hitter, with the option to move around the field when necessary and share time at third with Nolan Arenado. In a tight playoff chase, that kind of flexibility matters. Arizona doesn’t need another headline-grabbing star as much as it needs a hitter who can flip a game with one swing.
There’s also the human side of it. Suárez was a fan favorite during his previous run with the Diamondbacks, and a return would immediately reconnect with a fan base that remembers exactly what he brought to the lineup.
Of course, Arizona won’t be alone. Teams like the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers could also have interest. But if the Diamondbacks want one more push, bringing Suárez back to Phoenix would be one of the more sensible late-season moves on the board.
In Other News...
Ketel Marte's Return Just Became An Issue Beyond His Knee
Ketel Marte is aiming to get back during the Phillies series as he works through the knee issue that has kept him out, but the bigger conversation around Arizona right now has drifted away from the injury itself. During a team trip, Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall addressed Martes absence and the fact that he later showed up at a casino, a sequence of events that has added an uncomfortable layer to what should have been a straightforward update on a key players recovery.
For a club trying to stay steady in a critical stretch of the season, the concern is no longer just when Marte can play again. It is whether the situation has created a communication problem inside the clubhouse, and whether Marte needs to speak directly to teammates to smooth things over before he returns to the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Gave Up On Zack Littell Faster Than Fans Expected
Zack Littells Arizona stint is ending almost as quickly as it began. After just three appearances, the Diamondbacks put the right-hander on release waivers, cutting bait after a sharp first outing was followed by back-to-back games in which he gave up multiple home runs and struggled to hold the line.
If Littell clears waivers, hell become a free agent, and the Nationals will be on the hook for most of his salary. For Arizona, its another reminder that the bullpen and rotation shuffle can turn fast in August, especially when a short-term addition stops looking like a fit before the team has time to settle on a longer answer. [Read more 🡒]
Ketel Martes Return Brings A Diamondbacks Problem Beyond His Knee
Ketel Marte is expected back in the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup during their upcoming home series, a welcome development for a club that has missed his presence while he recovered from a knee injury. On the field, his return should matter immediately. Off it, though, the bigger issue around the team has been the way his absence played out and the ripple effect it left inside the clubhouse.
Torey Lovullo was left frustrated after Marte no-showed a game, and some teammates have also voiced their discontent, including anonymously, as the situation lingered. Marte being seen at a casino during a game he was not required to attend only added to the noise, leaving Arizona to manage more than just a lineup decision as it gets one of its best players back. [Read more 🡒]