Not every big move is created equally. Sometimes necessity meets opportunity, and you get the ideal scenario for a deal, something we recently saw with Cody Bellinger and an agreement to return to the Bronx
that made too much sense for every party involved. Other times, as a team like the Dodgers has routinely shown, a big market club can and should take advantage of opportunities that present themselves to upgrade their roster with an unexpected maneuver.
The best available bat on the market is Eugenio Suárez, and if we scroll through his likeliest suitors on any number of lists currently out there, the Yankees won’t feature. But if we stop and think about it, should that really be the case?
2025 Statistics: 159 games, 657 PA, .228/.298/.526, 49 HR, 118 RBI, 125 wRC+, -3 Outs Above Average, 3.8 fWAR
2026 FanGraphs Depth Charts Projections: 147 games, 637 PA, .230/.306/.449, 33 HR, 89 RBI, 108 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR
As things currently stand, the Yankees will start the season with Ryan McMahon as the team’s primary third baseman. McMahon is, by all accounts, a solid player and a better defender than Suárez, but still a below league-average hitter—that’s not even contemplating a comparison with Suárez, one of the better power bats in the big leagues over the last five seasons. In the most basic of analyses, there shouldn’t be a situation in which the Yankees completely exclude themselves from checking in on what would be a significant improvement to their lineup.
If we start to peel back the layers a little more, you have the potential advantages of using McMahon as a depth piece, particularly when we acknowledge the Yankees have lacked reliable bench options in the last however many years, with infield depth a particular problem. Beyond that, look no further than the DH role, where you have Giancarlo Stanton as the projected starter—even removed from fielding obligations, Stanton is very likely to not deliver a full season, which will inevitably open up a decent chunk of at-bats to be spread around. Suárez could fill that role occasionally with McMahon at third whenever you want to prioritize defense.
Are the Yankees already a good offense without Suárez? Yes. Do they particularly need him? Not really. Would he make them better right now? Definitely. There is no way you could reasonably argue that the Dodgers needed Kyle Tucker, but they signed him anyway, exercising their position of financial strength, to make it happen. Signing Suárez would have an impact, but it’d hardly represent an unreasonable ask. With his age and a market that isn’t as open with other big names having already signed, Suárez might be more inclined to take a shorter deal with a higher AAV.
When it comes to assessing Suárez the player, he comes with a great track record of health, with 143 games being his single-season lowest mark since establishing himself as an everyday player back in 2016. While Suárez is not necessarily the world beater he seemed to be with the Diamondbacks for the first half of 2025, he is one of the biggest locks to hit 30+ bombs in any given season. Dating back to the start of the 2022 season, Suárez has a 119 wRC+. For the most part, we’re talking about a proven commodity. Why not be aggressive?
