PHOENIX — The D-backs checked one merchandise off their winter to-do listing on Wednesday once they acquired third baseman Eugenio Suárez from the Mariners in change for catcher Seby Zavala and Minor League right-hander Carlos Vargas.
Third base has been a revolving door for the D-backs in recent times, and buying Suárez provides them stability on the place. He additionally provides them a right-handed bat they have been on the lookout for to steadiness their lineup along with offering some extra energy.
TRADE DETAILS
D-backs obtain: 3B Eugenio Suárez
Mariners obtain: Catcher Seby Zavala, RHP Carlos Vargas
Suárez is coming off a season wherein he slashed .232/.323/.391 with an OPS+ of 101. He does have an amazing quantity of energy, having hit over 30 homers in 4 of the previous 5 seasons (not together with the pandemic-shortened 2020 marketing campaign).
“We now have been on the lookout for an on a regular basis third baseman,” D-backs GM Mike Hazen stated. “We really feel like it is a man that provides the ability component, good defender, on a regular basis participant ready that we have been platooning for a couple of years now. I feel it provides a bit stability to that spot. And an unbelievable clubhouse man. That is any individual we’ve appreciated for a very long time, and we really feel prefer it’s a pure match given what our workforce is on the lookout for.”
Better of all for the D-backs, it’s a transfer that doesn’t restrict them from making different additions to the workforce both by way of commerce or free company.
Suárez’s wage — he’s below contract for subsequent season for $11 million, with the D-backs holding a membership choice for 2025 at $15 million with a $2 million buyout — doesn’t break the funds they’d deliberate to spend this offseason.
Zavala was acquired by the D-backs final September after the White Sox designated him for project, however he hardly ever performed for them down the stretch.
As for Vargas, the D-backs acquired the flamethrowing prospect from the Guardians final winter for Minor League right-hander Ross Carver. Vargas struggled along with his command at Triple-A Reno final 12 months and appeared in simply 5 video games for the D-backs this 12 months.
In different phrases, the D-backs didn’t half with a variety of prospect capital on this deal, leaving them depth to select from for future offers.
Regardless of their run to the World Collection, Hazen has taken a sensible strategy to the offseason, noting that the D-backs received 84 video games in the course of the common season and have been outscored total. That along with dropping free brokers like Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Tommy Pham leaves them needing to fill a number of holes.
With third base now locked up, the D-backs flip their consideration to attempting so as to add beginning pitching, bullpen assist and probably some depth for the bench.
“We now have a variety of issues to care for this offseason,” Hazen stated. “We now have a variety of issues on our to-do listing to place our workforce again collectively. And you may’t do 5 issues till you do one factor. And this was a participant that we appreciated that we focused [and] we felt just like the acquisition of was one thing that did not shut us off from making different trades or doing different issues as we went to the offseason.”