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Yankees Among 11 Teams Competing For Eugenio Suarez: Report


The Major League Baseball trade deadline is one week away, and one player has prompted executives around the league to contact the Arizona Diamondbacks about a possible deal: Eugenio Suarez.

Suarez, 34, leads all of MLB with 86 RBIs for the Diamondbacks, who are 50-53 — 10 games out of first place in the National League West and 5.5 games behind the San Diego Padres for the third and final NL wild card berth through Wednesday.

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The Diamondbacks are telling rival clubs that they plan to trade at least some of their veterans, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. John Gambadoro of 98.7-FM in Phoenix reported 12 teams have inquired about Suarez.

Many in the New York media have been linking the Yankees to Suarez as an upgrade for their third-base situation, which was left without a clear answer when Jazz Chisholm Jr. moved back to second base earlier this month.

Eugenio Suarez Yankees trade rumors
Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros and the American League and Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds and the National League joke around during Gatorade All-Star Workout Day at Nationals Park on July…


Rob Carr/Getty Images

Since then, Jorbit Vivas and Oswald Peraza have been alternating at third base. Neither is a star; Vivas is hitting .164 in 28 games while Peraza is hitting .147 in 69 games.

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Given the perpetual World-Series-or-bust operating mentality that guides the Yankees and their fans, it would count as a surprise if Vivas and Peraza remain the team’s third base tandem beyond the July 31 deadline.

Suarez isn’t the only third baseman to potentially be traded this month, but he might be the best hitter available at any position.

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In 259 games as a Diamondback, Suarez is hitting .254 with a .321 on-base percentage and a .518 slugging percentage. His 66 home runs over the last season-plus put him at a 41-homer pace over 162 games.

Suarez is in the final year of an eight-year, $79 million contract extension originally inked with the Cincinnati Reds in March 2018. He made the National League All-Star team for the second time in his career this month.

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Yankees third basemen have accumulated 0.1 WAR combined through Wednesday, 16th in MLB according to Baseball Reference. Other contenders — the Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and Cincinnati Reds — have gotten equal or lesser production at the hot corner this season.

The Reds are 53-50, 2.5 games behind San Diego in the Wild Card race, but reportedly have interest in a reunion with Suarez.

Given the high demand for the slugger, expect Suarez to fetch the Diamondbacks a handsome return in prospect capital if he is traded in the next week.

For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.





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