A late-night deal between Boston and Washington may have quietly changed the Reds’ deadline picture.
On Saturday, the Red Sox sent left-handed starting pitcher Connelly Early to the Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead. That move left Washington with a hole at third base, and it came with the Nats sitting just two games out of the race for the final NL Wild Card spot.
Washington answered by recalling former top prospect Brady House, but the results have been underwhelming. House has shown some improvement since being optioned to Triple-A earlier this season, yet his .227/.282/.399 slash line in 44 games this year still leaves plenty to be desired.
That’s where Cincinnati enters the conversation.
If the Nationals want a short-term answer at third base and a little more thump in the lineup, Eugenio Suárez makes a lot of sense. The Reds have not fully committed to selling ahead of the August 3 deadline, but they are reportedly shopping players on expiring contracts, and Suárez fits that profile.
Suárez is no longer the same defender he once was, but his bat is coming alive at exactly the right time for a Cincinnati club that would still like to get something back for the two-time All-Star. The Reds signed him to a one-year, $15 million deal in February, expecting a major offensive lift. Instead, an oblique injury early in the season and a quiet stretch after his return from the IL forced a tougher reality on the fan base.
Lately, though, Suárez has looked like himself again. Since July began, and especially since the second half of the 2026 season started, he’s been on a tear. Over his last nine games, he has a .735 slugging percentage and six home runs.
That kind of power would play in Washington’s lineup. The Nationals already have CJ Abrams, James Wood, and Luis Garcia Jr. all slugging above .540, and the team leads all of Major League Baseball with a .443 SLG. Suárez would give that left-handed-heavy group another right-handed bat with real pop.
The glove is the tradeoff. Suárez has posted -4 defensive runs saved and -5 outs above average at third base this season. House hasn’t been any better, though, since his advanced metrics are identical to the Reds veteran’s.
Washington does have several top-100 prospects in its system, but if Suárez is moved, the return for Cincinnati is likely to be modest - probably just a couple of lottery tickets. Even so, with the Reds looking to clear space for younger players in the second half, moving Suárez should be near the top of Nick Krall’s list.
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