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Eugenio Suarez was not offered a contract by the Boston Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox are having a decent offseason. They have made two separate trades with the St. Louis Cardinals, which brought in Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras. The Red Sox also bolstered their pitching staff by signing Ranger Suarez. However, Boston has missed out on two third basemen who could have helped the team. Alex Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs, while Eugenio Suarez just signed with the Cincinnati Reds.

Missing on both of these players seems to be Boston’s fault. The Red Sox refused to give Bregman a no-trade clause, which caused Boston to miss out on the All-Star. And they did not even offer Suarez, despite multiple links to the slugger.

MLB insider Jim Bowden has revealed the reason behind Boston not offering Suarez a contract, despite the need for a third baseman.

“The Red Sox don’t like his defense at third base,” Bowden said while speaking on the Foul Territory podcast.

Suarez would have had to play third base for Boston, and the Red Sox just did not want to have him manning the hot corner for the 2026 season.

Eugenio Suarez Did Not Have a Position in Boston

GettyEugenio Suarez would not have a position in Boston.

Boston did not like Suarez’s defense at third base. Sure, they could have slid him over to first base, but that position is covered by Contreras. The Red Sox needed a third baseman, but they were not willing to take a chance on his defensive abilities, or lack thereof.

Suarez finished the 2025 season with a negative-5 Outs Above Average at third base. He also made 1% less plays than expected, per Baseball Savant. The 34-year-old is turning into a designated hitter, which would have put the Red Sox in a tough spot.

Boston has one of the best outfields in baseball. But there are four of them that they trust. Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Jarren Duran are those players. With only three being able to play the field at a time, the fourth will slot into the DH spot in the lineup.

“They can’t have him DH because they’ve got four outfielders, of which one has to DH every single night,” Bowden said on the foul territory podcast.

Putting him at third base would have hurt the team defensively, and there is no room for him to be the DH.

Who Will the Red Sox Play at Third Base in 2026?

GettyMarcelo Mayer will play third base for the Red Sox.

Boston has plenty of young talent to put at the hot corner. There is one player in particular that the Red Sox did not want to block.

“They didn’t want Suarez to block Marcelo Mayer when he’s healthy,” Bowden said.

Mayer had season-ending wrist surgery last year. But the 23-year-old will be fully recovered by the time spring training rolls around.

Last season, Mayer played 44 games as a rookie. Although his time in the MLB was short, it was enough to exceed rookie limits. During those games, Mayer slashed .228/.272/.402 with four home runs, 10 RBI, and a below-average OPS+ of 85. Additionally, he had a high strikeout rate of 30.1%, with a whiff rate of 28.6%.

Mayer is a much better defender than Suarez, though. He finished with an OAA of +3, and his arm strength is a little bit better. Mayer also made 2% more plays than expected at third base last season.

His rookie struggles are not something to dwell on, but Boston is hoping for a much better sophomore campaign from their former first-round pick.

Cam Zunkel Cam Zunkel has been a sports journalist since 2022. He covers the NBA and MLB for Heavy.com. Cam also covers multiple MLB teams for On SI – part of the Sports Illustrated Brand. He is a former collegiate baseball player with two stops in the independent Frontier League. More about Cam Zunkel