What to Make of the Eugenio Suarez Trade to the Diamondbacks

Just a few months after the Mariners traded ex-closer Paul Sewald to the Diamondbacks, Seattle and Arizona have made yet another major trade. This time, third baseman Eugenio Suarez was sent to Arizona in exchange for two players. Here’s a closer look at the deal and what the Diamondbacks get in Eugenio Suarez.

The Diamondbacks’ Return

3B Eugenio Suarez (.232/.323/.391, 22 HR and 51 XBH over 162 G)

The Mariners acquired Eugenio Suarez in March 2022 in a blockbuster deal with the Reds, one that also saw Seattle pick up Jesse Winker. While Winker didn’t prove to be a hit in Seattle, Suarez for the most part was.

Despite the fact that Suarez led the AL in strikeouts in each of the last two seasons, the 32-year-old hit .234/.327/.423 with 53 home runs and 108 extra-base hits over his two seasons with the M’s.

Yes, there was a dip in total power output this past season. Suarez posted a roughly average ISO (.159) in 2023, his lowest in a full season since 2016. Still, the plus-power hitter posted a well above-average Barrel% (13.2) and did an impressive job of avoiding chasing at pitches out of the zone.

Aside from a slight rise in pop-ups, it wasn’t a poor season by any means from Suarez. And, his +11 Outs Above Average ranked quite highly among his peers.

Now, Suarez heads back to the NL, as he’s set to join the reigning National League champions.

The Mariners’ Return

C Seby Zavala (.171/.230/.314, 7 HR and 11 XBH over 73 G)
P Carlos Vargas (5.79 ERA, 7 K over 4.2 IP)

In return, Seattle picked up two players. One of those players is catcher Seby Zavala.

Zavala is essentially a prototypical secondary catcher in the MLB, as he does have overall good framing and catching metrics. However, the 30-year-old never hit well enough to get regular time in the Majors.

The 30-year-old hit seven home runs over 73 games and hit .171/.230/.314 (.544 OPS) across those contests.

Zavala’s been a backup catcher throughout his short MLB career, and that will remain the case with Seattle given the presence of Cal Raleigh.

Additionally, the Mariners picked up 24-year-old reliever Carlos Vargas. The M’s have had good luck with relievers in recent years and Vargas has the stuff to be a nice find.

The righty boasts a hard fastball that averaged out at 99.4 MPH in his brief time in the Majors this past season, along with a low-90s cutter that acted as his true secondary pitch, a sinker, and changeup.

He’s had trouble with command in the past, but the swing-and-miss stuff is real with Vargas.

All stats listed next to players are from MLB this season.

Analysis

From the Diamondbacks’ perspective, the deal for Suarez makes a lot of sense. Arizona third basemen, a team that relied on a combination of Emmanuel Rivera, Jace Peterson, Josh Rojas, Geraldo Perdomo, and Evan Longoria at third last season, ranked fourth-worst in wOBA (.284) and wRC+ (75) last season.

Suarez’s bat should not only add some much-needed pop assuming he gets back on track from a tough 2023, but he can also replace some of the right-handed power lost should Lourdes Gurriel Jr. not re-sign with the D-Backs.

As far as the Mariners are concerned, the deal for 2B/3B Luis Urias last week makes a bit more sense.

However, Urias doesn’t have the same kind of pop that Suarez has. Granted, it wasn’t a great 2023 from the veteran infielder. Still, the trade of Suarez does take a good power hitter out of the equation for 2023, and the potential loss of Teoscar Hernandez may mean two fewer power-hitting RHH bats.

Another question is whether Luis Urias, who at this point will likely be the M’s third baseman next season, fits defensively there. Urias — who ranked in the 24th percentile of the league in arm strength per Statcast — doesn’t have great arm strength and he does fit better at second.