Cincinnati Reds infielder Eugenio Suárez could be a bounceback candidate for the Colorado Rockies
Cincinnati Reds infielder Eugenio Suárez could be a bounceback candidate for the Colorado Rockies and fill in one of their many needs, as the Rockies need an infielder with a power bat.
In 2021, Suárez, 30, had a down year as he only had a slash line of .198/.286/.428 with an OPS+ of 80. However, he still hit 31 homers and had 79 RBI. In 2020, he played in 57 games and had 15 homers and 38 RBI with a .202/.312/.470 with an OPS+ of 100. Both of these seasons came after his shoulder surgery in January 2020.
However in 2018 and 2019, he garnered MVP votes in both seasons. In 2018, was also an All-Star. He played in 143 games in 2018 and he hit 34 homers and had 104 RBI with a .283/.366/.526 slash line and an OPS+ of 136. In 2019, he had 49 homers and 103 RBI in 159 games with a .271/.358/.572 slash line and an OPS+ of 131.
MLB Trade Rumors recently looked into Suárez’s recent struggles at the plate including a deep dive into why he has struggled and some areas where he actually improved in 2021.
Considering that the Reds have made a few salary dumps in the last couple of years, they could look to dump Suárez too, especially since he still has three years left on his contract (each season just shy of $11.29 million).
Even if he doesn’t have his former on-base abilities, Suárez still could be a 30+ home run threat for the Rockies, which is something that they did not have in 2021.
If the Rockies take on Suárez’s entire salary, they could get him for virtually nothing but if they want some salary relief, they will have to give the Reds a bit more in return.