Free agent third baseman Eugenio Suárez signs surprising one year deal
|
Victor William
Feb 1, 2026 (5:26 PM)
|
|
Photo credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The "best bat left on the market" is off the board, and the price tag is enough to make any Blue Jays fan wince in frustration.
Eugenio Suárez is returning to the Cincinnati Reds on a one-year, $15 million deal with a mutual option for 2027.
For a slugger who just launched 49 home runs in 2025, that contract is highway robbery. While Cincinnati celebrates the reunion, the silence from Toronto is deafening.
We watched this man terrorize pitching staffs all year, splitting his time between Arizona and Seattle, racking up 118 RBIs and proving he is still an elite power threat.
The fact that he landed in the National League for such a reasonable salary raises a painful question: Where were we?
The Blue Jays, sitting on a payroll nearing the $300 million mark, clearly have the resources.
This isn't a case of a small-market team being priced out; this is a choice.
Suarez (Signed as Int'l FA, 2008 by Detroit) isn't just a stat sheet stuffer; he’s a proven postseason performer.
We saw it firsthand when he faced us in the 2025 ALCS with Seattle, launching 2 homers in the series and driving in 7 runs to help end our season.
This is the kind of power bat the lineup craves to protect Vladdy, and it went for the price of a mid-rotation starter.
The insider report confirms the steal of the winter: https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/2018086862829547547?s=20
A missed opportunity to buy power on a budget
In a winter where "fiscal responsibility" often clashes with "championship aspirations," passing on Suárez for $15 million feels like a miscalculation.
We aren't talking about a 10-year commitment to a risky prospect. We are talking about a one-year flier on a guy who just finished second in the majors in RBIs.
If the Rogers ownership group is willing to push past luxury tax thresholds to build a winner, pinching pennies on a 49-homer bat feels counterintuitive.
For fans, it’s hard to swallow seeing a perfect DH fit sign elsewhere for a number that we could have easily matched—or beaten—without blinking.
Also read on Toronto Baseball Insider :
Toronto Blue Jays announce a list of roster move ahead of Spring Training
Toronto Blue Jays announce a list of roster move ahead of Spring Training