Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez is the belle of this year's MLB trade deadline ball. Numerous teams have been connected to the slugger who has hit 36 home runs at the time of publication, but there's always a chance he hits another in the next 10 minutes or so... even though the Diamondbacks aren't playing a baseball game right now. That's how hot he's been.
The New York Yankees have been one of the teams most frequently connected to Geno, which makes sense as the Yanks don't have a reliable everyday third baseman right now. But recently, the Detroit Tigers have popped up in connection to him as well, and now fans in Detroit are asking to bring home the potential NL home run champ to where his career started.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Twins are willing to trade a few of their expiring contracts, including former Detroit Tiger Willi Castro and Harrison Bader.
My trade brain is starting to percolate — if the Yankees can't make a trade with the Diamondbacks, maybe they turn to the Twins, leaving Eugenio Suárez on the market for a homecoming.
If the Yankees trade for Willi Castro, it could make Suárez a realistic spot for Tigers
Okay, I know what you're asking. "What do the Diamondbacks, Yankees, Tigers and Twins have to do with each other?" Stay with me here, I'll lead you.
Perhaps the Yankees call the Diamondbacks and ask about Suárez, but are put off by the asking price, so they call up the Twins instead and ask what it would take to pry Willi Castro away from them. Minnesota will likely ask for less for Castro (even though he's been good in 2025), and let's say the Yankees swing a deal for the versatile middle infielder.
In that scenario, Suárez is still on the market, the Yankees are no longer a contender for his services and maybe the Diamondbacks get desperate to make a move which the Tigers use to their advantage, and suddenly they have one of the best power hitters in the game.
Tigers suddenly need offensive help that Suárez can provide
A power-hitting third baseman (or potential DH) isn't the most pressing need in Detroit, even after a recent slump. But if nothing else, the trade deadline can be used by teams distance themselves from the competition, and that's essentially what this deal would do for the Tigers.
Willi Castro wasn't exceptional in his four seasons with the Tigers; but if he can, in a roundabout way, become the reason they end up with Eugenio Suárez, fans will forgive him for any shortcomings he had when he was actually on the team.