The Chicago Cubs won’t have to engage in a heavyweight fight at the MLB Trade Deadline for Eugenio Suarez anymore. Make no mistake, there are still other teams interested in the power-hitting Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman, but the New York Yankees have now bowed out of the trade sweepstakes after trading with the Rockies for Ryan McMahon on Friday.
MLB insider Jon Heyman reported earlier on Friday that the Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners and Yankees were the teams most in on Suarez leading up to the July 31 trade deadline, but that New York had a gap in talks with Arizona. That tracks with other reports that the D’Backs are holding a high asking price for the third baseman, even as a rental. However, the Yankees pivoting as quickly as they did to McMahon following that report opens the runway for the Cubs.
The Mariners have already shown their ready to get active with the Josh Naylor trade, which also has the pathways with Arizona opened to further discuss a deal for Suarez. Meanwhile, the Reds have emerged as a sleeper lurking at the deadline for a number of big names and could be a threat. For the Cubs, though, this is the perfect opportunity for Jed Hoyer and Chicago’s front office to be as aggressive as possible and get this done.
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Cubs have no excuses to lose out on Eugenio Suarez trade after Yankees pivot
Despite Matt Shaw heating up over the past week-plus, the Cubs still need a surer bet at third base for their postseason run — or even a tooth-and-nail battle with the rival Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central race before then. Suarez represents that and, while Chicago has other needs, they can’t afford to come up empty-handed on their top pursuits. This is the time for unbridled aggression at the trade deadline.
The Yankees removing themselves, at least assumedly, from the Suarez race helps them in that. The Mariners are likely not going to overextend themselves after the Naylor trade, even if that was a steal in Seattle’s favor, for a reunion with Suarez. The Reds are stuck in a middle ground when it comes to what their direction is, so Cincinnati also reuniting with Suarez might not be a must at this point.
This type of deal, along with acquiring starting pitching help, is a need for the Cubs. The Brewers have proven they aren’t going away and the National League remains exceptionally competitive. Chicago has the goods on the major-league roster to compete there, but especially so with substantial upgrades. And Suarez represents the most obvious upgrade to the lineup. It’s a perfect match, and one that they can’t ignore.
Hoyer now has less than a week to get Suarez to the Windy City and his path to doing so is clearer than it’s ever been. The Yankees aren’t going to war with them over the Diamondbacks third baseman, which should mean that Cubs fans should demand that Hoyer land Suarez in the next six days or else it’s a disappointment of a deadline in Chicago.
