The Seattle Mariners are finalizing a commerce for third baseman Eugenio Suarez, touchdown essentially the most coveted energy bat of commerce deadline season from the Arizona Diamondbacks for 3 prospects, sources informed ESPN on Wednesday night time.
The deal, which is pending medical evaluation, will ship first baseman Tyler Locklear and right-handers Juan Burgos and Hunter Cranton to the Diamondbacks, who already had dealt first baseman Josh Naylor to Seattle lower than every week earlier.
Suárez, 34, ranks fifth in Main League Baseball with 36 house runs and rejoins a Mariners staff with which he spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
With a lineup that now will embody Suárez, Naylor, American League MVP favourite Cal Raleigh, heart fielder Julio Rodriguez and outfielder Randy Arozarena, the Mariners have remade what as soon as was a tepid offense into one of the vital harmful in baseball. And with a rotation that includes Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby and Luis Castillo complementing a bullpen of Andres Munoz, Matt Brash, Gabe Speier and the just-acquired Caleb Ferguson, Seattle is primed to make a run in October.
First the Mariners must get there.
At 57-52, they’re presently tied for the ultimate wild card spot within the AL with the Texas Rangers, who they host for a pivotal four-game sequence beginning Thursday. Seattle had spent a lot of Thursday within the sweepstakes for nearer Jhoan Duran, who ultimately was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies by the Minnesota Twins. The Mariners pivoted again to Suárez, who can be a free agent following the season, and struck the take care of the Diamondbacks days after the slugger was hit within the left index finger with a 96 mph fastball. After X-rays returned adverse and Suárez sat out one recreation, he returned Wednesday, going 1 for 4 with a double to convey his season line to .248/.320/.576 with a Nationwide League-leading 87 RBIs.
The emergence of Suárez as one of many recreation’s preeminent energy hitters and one of the vital coveted gamers on the commerce market helps fill a gap at third base for the Mariners, the place rookie Ben Williamson had supplied robust protection however is hitting .253/.294/.310.
Whereas Suárez is thought to be a median fielder at third, the Mariners focused him for the thump in his bat and the stability it brings their lineup. With J.P. Crawford hitting leadoff and sporting a .361 on-base proportion, Rodriguez hitting second and Raleigh third, Suárez can occupy the cleanup spot with Arozarena, Naylor and Jorge Polanco behind him.
To amass Suárez, Seattle didn’t must dip into its deep nicely of high prospects, although Locklear is a serious league-ready first baseman who ought to occupy the place as Arizona retools for 2026. The 24-year-old has accomplished nothing however hit within the minor leagues, posting an .894 OPS over almost 1,500 minor league plate appearances, together with a .316/.401/.542 line with 19 house runs and 82 RBIs at Triple A this season.
Like Locklear, Burgos, 25, has spent a brief period of time within the main leagues, showing in 4 video games for the Mariners this season. Working solely out of the bullpen this season, Burgos posted a 0.87 ERA in 31 innings within the minors and restricted opponents to a .132 batting common, hanging out 31 and strolling 9.
The 24-year-old Cranton, drafted within the third spherical by Seattle final yr, has thrown simply 18.1 innings within the minor leagues however affords a fastball that tops out at 100 mph and will transfer rapidly by means of the Diamondbacks group.
Arizona entered the season with playoff aspirations however suffered by means of a rash of accidents — together with Tommy John surgical procedure for right-hander Corbin Burnes, who signed a six-year, $210 million free agent deal over the winter — and ultimately determined to dump its impending free brokers. With Suárez and Naylor in Seattle and Randal Grichuk in Kansas Metropolis, the Diamondbacks nonetheless are entertaining offers for right-handers Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, a minimum of certainly one of whom is predicted to maneuver.
The Diamondbacks may rapidly rebound from 51-58 file. With star proper fielder Corbin Carroll and second baseman Ketel Marte, plus shortstop Geraldo Perdomo and high infield prospect Jordan Lawlar, Arizona’s core is robust sufficient to compete in a balanced NL. The Diamondbacks proceed to prioritize pitching — notably of the near-major-league-ready selection — as they head into the ultimate hours earlier than Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline.