It should not come as a surprise that the Houston Astros have recently shown a strong interest in slugging Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
The Astros, who are four games up on the Seattle Mariners for first in the AL West Division, suffered a huge setback when, on July 19th, during a 7-6 loss against the Mariners, they lost third baseman Isaac Paredes to a right hamstring strain. No timetable has been set for when he might be back, which means that if the Astros want to be serious World Series contenders this October, then they must go out and get another bat, such as Suarez, before the July 31st MLB trade deadline.
What makes this more of an urgent matter is that the Astros have said that the injury is more severe than originally thought.
Houston Astros Latest Team to Show Interest in Arizona Diamondbacks Suarez
What Suarez Could Bring to the Table
Despite his defense being sub-par and being prone to strikeouts, there is still a lot of upside to Suarez’s bat, including a major asset that the Astros really need, which is power.
Currently heading into the trade deadline, this 34-year-old has hit 34 home runs and a league-leading 87 RBI.
“Suarez is the most straightforward way to address Paredes potential season long absence and, according to multiple league sources, the Astros have at least checked in with the Arizona Diamondbacks to make their interest known,” the Athletic’s Chandler Rome said.
The Diamondbacks sit 10 games out of the NL West Division lead and 6 games out of a wild card spot. So, chances are this power bat at third base will more than likely be traded to a contender. The question for Astros fans is whether their team can trade for this slugger without mortgaging the future.
Yankees Were Rumored to be After Suarez
Prior to pulling off a deal with the Colorado Rockies for third baseman Ryan McMahon, it was no secret that the New York Yankees were heavily pursuing Suarez.
However, talks went nowhere after, according to baseball insider Francys Romero, the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement.
“Trade talks between the Yankees and Diamondbacks over Eugenio Suarez stalled after Arizona asked for a MLB player, an upper-level prospect (AA/AAA), and at least one lower-level prospect, per industry sources,” Romero wrote on Twitter.
It’s no secret that with slugger Aaron Judge out with injury, the Yankees need a bona fide power-hitter if they are to hold onto a wild card spot and come October have a long playoff run.
Other potential suitors for Suarez include the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Suarez On Shelf After Hit By Pitch vs. Tigers
Teams in pursuit of Suarez can now breathe a sigh of relief after it was revealed that he didn’t break anything after being hit on the index finger from a 95.6 miles per hour pitch from Tigers reliever Will Vest during Monday’s 5-1 loss against the Tigers.
Suarez, who hasn’t placed since, received an MRI and CT scan, which came back negative, which of course means no break.
Suarez Looking to Break Hitting Slump
Leading up to Tuesday’s game against the Tigers, Suarez found himself in an ugly 2 for 21 slump, which has spanned over the past six games. Naturally, he was asked by the media if perhaps constantly hearing his name in trade talks has factored into his recent slide.
“I try to not think too much about that and keep my mind clean and play my game, not change anything, and see what happens, if I stay or go,” Suarez said. “My mind is fine. I’ve been praying a lot for calm and to stay focused on my job and not think too much about it.”
It will be interesting to see what happens to Suarez at the deadline. Whoever ends up getting this veteran will have to pay quite a stiff price in gunning for this year’s World Series title.
Main Image: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
