For much of the season, it's felt like a near-certainty that the Chicago Cubs were going to add a third baseman like Eugenio Suarez at the trade deadline. Matt Shaw's recent emergence might change that, but chances are, if the Cubs can acquire Suarez at a somewhat reasonable price, they will. A division rival, the Cincinnati Reds, might be what stands in their way of that happening, though.
Based on what the Arizona Diamondbacks are reportedly looking for in a Suarez deal, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic ($), the Reds make a whole lot of sense as a potential suitor.
"The Diamondbacks need controllable, young pitching. The Reds are unlikely to part with Chase Burns, who struck out 10 in Tuesday’s loss to the Nationals, or Rhett Lowder, who is currently injured. But the team does have right-hander Chase Petty, a promising talent, even if he’s having a down season," Rosecrans wrote.
The Cubs have Cade Horton, an electric rookie, in the Majors right now, but they're unlikely to part with him, especially for a rental. Other than Horton, they don't have much in terms of young pitching that's MLB-ready to send to Arizona. The Reds, on the other hand, do, even without including their top prospect in Chase Burns.
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This Reds-Diamondbacks trade would send Eugenio Suarez to a Cubs rival
The Reds can offer Rhett Lowder, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, to the Diamondbacks in a one-for-one swap involving Suarez. Lowder has been sidelined for much of this season due to injury, but he's expected to have a normal winter and be fully healthy in 2026. When the 2026 season begans, there's reason to believe Lowder would be in Arizona's rotation, as he made six dominant starts (1.17 ERA) at the MLB level in 2024.
It'd hurt to give Lowder up, but the Reds are a team that can afford to make that sacrifice. Their rotation has thrived even without him, and even with Hunter Greene missing some time due to his own injury woes. A rotation consisting of Greene, Burns, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott and Brady Singer is really tough to top, and the Reds would have Nick Martinez and Chase Petty, among others, as depth.
It's tough to get a top-100 prospect who happens to be an MLB-ready starting pitcher in exchange for a rental third baseman like Suarez, but Suarez's numbers (36 home runs, .924 OPS) certainly warrant a big return, especially with the slew of teams that will be bidding against Cincinnati for Suarez's services.
Reds are sleeper team Cubs should be paying attention to
The Cubs are focused on the Milwaukee Brewers right now, and for good reason, but the Reds are a team that should be on their mind as well. They might not be in the thick of the NL Central race, but as mentioned above, their rotation is elite, and if they get a bat like Suarez they can be extremely dangerous.
The Reds are tied for tenth in the Majors in runs scored, but are 18th in home runs. Scoring runs hasn't been a major issue, but hitting the ball out of the ballpark has. Well, Suarez has more home runs than anyone not named Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani this year. Adding his big bat will not only give the Reds an elite power hitter, but it'd make everyone around him better.
Cincinnati's elite pitching is scary enough, but if the Reds can add Suarez to their lineup, their entire team will be one that the Cubs and every other contender will want nothing to do with. The Cubs should want Suarez for themselves, but if they miss out, they should hope he doesn't end up in Cincinnati.