Reds bring Eugenio Suárez back to Cincy with $15 million contract for 2026, per report

The Cincinnati Reds are bringing back a familiar face. The Reds and third baseman Eugenio Suárez have agreed to a one-year contract worth $15 million, reports ESPN. The deal includes a mutual option for 2027. The team has not yet announced the signing.

Suárez, 34, played for the Reds from 2015-21 and had his greatest success in Cincinnati, including a 49-homer season in 2019. He split last season between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners, hitting .228/.298/.526 with 49 homers. Suárez was much better before the trade (.897 OPS) than after (.682 OPS), which may have hurt his market.

We ranked Suárez as the 14th-best free agent this offseason and was the top hitter remaining on the market entering February. Here' the write-up:

Suárez is a min-max experiment at the plate. He hits the ball hard, as evidenced by his second career 49-homer season, and he takes his share of walks. All the while, he ranked near the bottom of the majors in both whiff and strikeout rate, something that can be attributed in part to his weakness on pitches located up and in. Suárez will likely face scrutiny based on his age (35 come July), defense (not great), and right-handedness. When his bat goes, his spot on a roster will, too, at whitewater speeds. Until then, Suárez ought to find a home in the middle of a lineup.

Ke'Bryan Hayes is owed $36 million through 2028 and is maybe the best defensive third baseman in the sport. He won't be relegated to the bench to make room for Suárez. Suárez will almost certainly DH and perhaps play some first base, which will cut into playing time for incumbent first baseman Spencer Steer and top prospect Sal Stewart. All three players are right-handed hitters.

The Reds snuck into the postseason via tiebreaker over the New York Mets last season. Their offense was lacking at times, however. They finished 14th in runs and 21st in home runs, which isn't bad, but can certainly be improved upon. Prior to Suárez, Cincinnati's only additions on offense this offseason were platoon outfielders JJ Bleday and Dane Myers.

Last year's 83-79 finish was the Reds' best since posting the same record in 2021. It was their first postseason berth since 2020, and their first in a full 162-game season since 2013.