The Mariners were finalizing a deal late Wednesday to land their No. 1 target before the MLB trade deadline, reacquiring third baseman Eugenio Suárez from the Arizona Diamondbacks, sources confirmed to The Seattle Times.
The 34-year-old Suárez was the most coveted hitter on the trading block. His return to Seattle gives the Mariners perhaps the best and deepest lineup in the American League, and it delivers on the promise from president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto to bolster the Mariners’ chance at a playoff run.
Good vibes, indeed.
The Mariners are sending three prospects to Arizona in the deal: first baseman Tyler Locklear and two right-handed relievers, Hunter Cranton and Juan Burgos, as MLB.com first reported.
Suárez, a free agent after this season, is in the midst of a career year, with 36 home runs and 87 runs batted in, tied with Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh for the MLB lead in RBIs. Suárez’s 36 home runs are the most by a player in a season before he was traded midseason, MLB.com Sarah Langs noted.
“Super excited. It’s a great move,” Raleigh said late Wednesday inside the visitors clubhouse in Sacramento, after the Mariners’ 5-4 loss to the Athletics. “Very, very excited for it. Obviously, we know how great a guy is, how great he’s playing this year. Great, great add.”
ESPN was the first to report the Suárez trade late Wednesday, the second trade of the day for the Mariners and their second in the past week with the Diamondbacks.
The Mariners acquired first baseman Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks last week for two mid-level pitching prospects.
Earlier Wednesday, left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson joined the Mariners in Sacramento after being traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates, who completed a series Wednesday against the Giants in San Francisco.
None of the three prospects heading to Arizona are ranked among the Mariners’ Top 10 prospects, per Baseball America.
Players involved were to complete standard medical exams before the trade was to be announced.
Suarez was hit in the right hand by a 96-mph fastball on Monday against the Detroit Tigers. Medical scans came back negative, and he returned to the Diamondbacks’ lineup earlier Wednesday and went 1 for 4 with a double.
Suarez played two seasons with the Mariners in 2022 and ’23, and his “Good Vibes Only” ethos made him one of the team’s most popular players in the clubhouse and with the fanbase.
“He’s pretty much everything you look for in a teammate,” Raleigh said. “He’s supportive. Super nice. Keeps it light in the room. Always positive. And you add on to that, he’s a great player. He’s uplifting. Brings guys together. We saw that when he was here the first time, and we were obviously all sad that he left, but we’re happy that he’s coming back.”
Suárez led Seattle with 31 homers and posted a .791 OPS in 2022, but his numbers declined across the board in ’23, with a .714 OPS and a league-leading 214 strikeouts.
In November 2023, the Mariners traded him to the Diamondbacks in a salary-dumping move, saving roughly $11 million in salary. The Mariners acquired right-handed reliever Carlos Vargas, a minor-leaguer at the time, and backup catcher Seby Zavala in the swap.
Suárez is owed about $4.8 million for the remainder of this season. Last fall, the Diamondbacks had exercised a $15 million club option on his contract for 2025.
The Times’ Tim Booth contributed to this report.
