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The MLB trade deadline is around the corner and ESPN recently updated their 50 trade candidates ranking. Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez was listed as the top target.
“Suarez is in a contract year and playing like one of the best players in baseball. Only Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge have more home runs than his 35. Despite turning 34 years old before the trade deadline, Suarez is sitting near career highs in isolated power and wRC+ (which measures overall offensive performance),” ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel wrote. “His fielding metrics have declined in recent years, but he's still an acceptable defender at third base. Even if the Diamondbacks don't offload all their free agents-to-be, Suarez could be moved because they've got Jordan Lawlar raking in Triple-A and primed to take over at third.”
The New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and San Francisco Giants were listed as the best fits for the 34-year-old slugger. The ranking also gave Suarez a 90 percent chance of being traded before the deadline.
Across 98 games this season, Suarez has hit 35 home runs, collected 85 RBIs, and posted a .928 OPS. According to Baseball Savant, he ranks in the 98th percentile in Batting Run Value, the 88th percentile in Barrel%, and the 89th percentile in Hard Hit%.
While the Diamondbacks are not entirely out of the Postseason hunt, they have several players like Suarez who are in the final year of their respective contracts. The two-time All-Star’s success this season might allow Arizona to receive a king’s ransom in exchange for his services.
Several contenders might feel like they are a piece or two away from becoming World Series hopefuls. As a result, the Diamondbacks will be receiving a number of calls regarding Suarez over the next 10 days. It remains to been seen how far teams will be willing to go in order to acquire a rental player.
