The Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t done shopping just yet. Even after adding Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn to the mix, there’s still a clear sense that this front office wants more firepower in the lineup - and their eyes may now be set on one of the top remaining bats on the market: Eugenio Suárez.
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Pirates are showing interest in the veteran third baseman, who brings a decade’s worth of power and durability to the table. But there’s a catch - Suárez may be leaning toward a team with a more immediate shot at contention. Rosenthal floated Boston, or a reunion with either Seattle or Arizona, as potential preferred destinations for the 34-year-old slugger.
That said, the fit in Pittsburgh makes a lot of sense - maybe more than it appears at first glance.
Let’s start with the need. The Pirates hit just 117 home runs last season - dead last in Major League Baseball.
To put that in perspective, Suárez alone matched the combined total of their top three home run hitters: Oneil Cruz (20), Bryan Reynolds (16), and Andrew McCutchen (13). That’s a glaring power void, and Suárez, even with some recent struggles, has the kind of pop that could instantly change the complexion of this offense.
Yes, the numbers down the stretch last year weren’t pretty. After being traded from Arizona to Seattle at the deadline, Suárez hit just .189 with a .255 OBP and a .428 slugging percentage across 53 games.
He struck out 79 times in that span - a reminder that his swing-and-miss tendencies haven’t gone anywhere. But even in a slump, the power still played.
And over the last 10 seasons, he’s launched 308 home runs - a level of consistency that’s tough to find on the open market this late in the offseason.
Durability is another major selling point here. Suárez has missed just seven games over the past three years.
That’s remarkable in today’s game, especially for a player logging over 570 plate appearances in each of the last nine full seasons. For a Pirates team that’s had its share of injury issues in recent years, having a reliable everyday presence at third base would be a major upgrade.
And speaking of third base - that’s been a black hole for Pittsburgh. Last season, Pirates third basemen combined to hit just .222 with six home runs. That’s not going to cut it, especially in a division where the margin for error is razor-thin and every extra-base hit matters.
Suárez might not be a perfect player. The strikeouts are real, and he’s not a guy who’s going to hit for average.
But what he does bring - legitimate, game-changing power and a track record of showing up day in, day out - is exactly what this Pirates team needs. He wouldn’t just be a plug-and-play option at third base; he’d be a statement of intent from a franchise trying to turn the corner.
Whether Suárez sees Pittsburgh as the right fit remains to be seen. But if the Pirates can make a compelling pitch - and if they’re serious about contending in the near future - this is exactly the kind of move that could help them take that next step.