The Arizona Diamondbacks opted to bring back former Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez on Friday, picking up his team option.

From ESPN’s Jesse Rogers on social media:

Diamondbacks INF Eugenio Suarez is having his option picked up for 2025, according to a source. It’s for $15 million.

The decision was an easy one on the surface as Suarez had a great overall year for Arizona. Although the Diamondbacks missed the playoffs, Suarez hit .256 with 30 home runs and 101 RBIs. He also played 158 games, proving once again how durable he is. He has played essentially a full season every season since 2016.

Although the question was simple on the surface, it was not so under the hood. A very consistent player, Suarez only hit .172 in May and .156 in June. He was hitting just .216 at the All-Star break.

Although it appears the Diamondbacks plan to use him in 2025, there is still a chance he could be cut this offseason.

The Mariners traded him to Arizona last offseason as part of that pay cut that gave them backup catcher Seby Zavala and a promising relief prospect. The M’s acquired Suarez before the 2022 season and he instantly became a fan favorite for his good attitude and ability to hit home runs.

Suarez had 31 homers and 87 RBIs for the M’s in 2022 as they ended the drought and qualified for the playoffs. He added 22 homers and 96 RBIs for the 2023 team that missed the playoffs by just one game. Trading him was touted by the front office as a way to reduce strikeouts (he led the American League in strikeouts each of those years), but it was clearly just a way to reduce his $11 million salary last offseason, another in a string. of frustrating and frantic movements.

Suarez is a former All-Star who played 11 years with the Cincinnati Reds, The sailors, Detroit Diamondbacks and Tigers.

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