Mariners' rumored competition for Eugenio Suárez is way more confusing than expected

This past August, the move made by Seattle to reunite with Eugenio Suárez was seen by many as one of the best of the deadline. However, after a disappointing second half (94 OPS+) and a lukewarm postseason at the plate (.700 OPS), it's safe to say that in hindsight, the transaction failed to live up to expectations.

Now, he's a free agent and it's looking unlikely that he'll get a chance for yet another stint with the Mariners. Furthermore, his struggles in the latter part of the year have negatively impacted the list of organizations willing to pursue him, but there are still a few teams desperate enough to take a chance.

There are surprising teams that could be interested in Eugenio Suárez as a free agent

According to a recent report by MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the three teams that are potential fits are the Mariners, Pirates, and Angels. What these three teams have in common is that they need help at third base, but the viability of each team's backup options as well as their own intentions to compete vary by quite a bit.

For the Pirates, they've gotten far more defensive production out of the hot corner than they have offensive output. Since debuting in 2020, Ke'Bryan Hayes has had one of the best gloves in MLB at the position but averaged an OPS+ of just 87 with 39 home runs over his 576 games with Pittsburgh. After Hayes was traded to the Reds, Jared Triolo took over but carried a similar profile. In fact, the last time the Pirates had a solid offensive presence at the position might be Jung Ho Kang back in 2016.

However, they're one of the most frugal teams in MLB, making Seattle's front office seem like reckless spenders by comparison. The largest free agent contract they've ever extended was a measly three-year, $39 million deal to Francisco Liriano in 2015. Suárez won't fetch nearly the same amount as Kyle Tucker or Alex Bregman, but his market price may still be exceed the Pirates' stringent fiscal limitations.

On the other hand, the Angels have been known to spend big money in free agency, albeit on contracts that age horribly. One of those contracts is for their current third baseman, although for a player like Anthony Rendon who has appeared in just 257 games over the past five years, "current" may be a bit of a stretch. With little to no information on his whereabouts or status, the team is absolutely in search of someone new, especially with Luis Rengifo also hitting free agency.

For Suárez, this is hardly the list of potential options he was hoping for, especially since the Mariners seem to care more about locking down the other corner infield position, potentially leaving him with two non-contending teams to choose from. Other organizations could make their interest known later in the offseason and before the Winter Meetings, all rumors are purely speculative. Nonetheless, his player stock has clearly decreased since his hot stretch with the Diamondbacks.

For Seattle, it means that if they do want to prioritize a reunion with Suárez, they probably won't have to bid very high. They already have a few utility infielders to choose from as well as Colt Emerson if he's called up in 2026, so a 34-year old third baseman with a big swing-and-miss problem likely isn't high on the organization's offseason wishlist.