The Mariners’ path back into the playoff race may have just gotten a little more interesting.
With the Cincinnati Reds placing Eugenio Suarez and TJ Friedl on outright waivers, teams now have 48 hours to decide whether to put in a claim, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. And one name that quickly surfaced as a fit for Seattle was Suarez, with Jon Morosi of MLB Network urging the Mariners to think about bringing him back.
“The Mariners are in prime position, if they are interested in an Act III with Suárez. Waiver claims are awarded in reverse standings order; Seattle has one of the worst records of any viable contender,” Morosi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Suarez had been floated as a trade target before the early-August deadline, but no move ever happened. The veteran has not exactly lit up the scoreboard this year, hitting .208 with a .705 OPS, though his power still stands out. He has 19 home runs, and that kind of pop can matter for a lineup looking for a spark.
Seattle has obvious reasons to at least look into it. The lineup has plenty of questions, and the club already knows what Suarez can bring. He played for the Mariners from 2022-2023 before being traded to the Mariners in 2025 as well.
Morosi’s “Act III” idea also fits because Suarez can handle third base or serve as a designated hitter. Even if he ends up as a bench bat, he would give Seattle a right-handed power option. For a team trying to keep its season alive, that kind of move makes sense.
The Mariners are 64-70 and sit 2.5 games behind first place in the American League West. They are also four games out of an AL Wild Card spot.
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Mariners Suddenly Have A Reunion Decision They Can't Wait On
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Surezs season has been uneven, but there are signs he has started to find something again, especially in August, when his production picked up and he recently uncorked a grand slam. For a Mariners team looking to squeeze every bit of offense out of the final stretch, the question is whether this reunion is worth acting on now, before another club gets there first. [Read more 🡒]
