Chicago eyes Eugenio Suarez for third base, offering big power at a significantly lower cost than top targets. A cheaper upgrade option emerges.
The Chicago Cubs appear to be looking for an upgrade at the third base position this offseason.
After reports circulated in early December that the Cubs are interested in Alex Bregman, they are now interested in another third baseman -- potentially as a backup plan if they don’t land Bregman in free agency.
According to MLB insider Francys Romero, the Cubs are a name to watch for slugger Eugenio Suarez.
“The Cubs continue to explore the third-base market in free agency, and Eugenio Suarez is one of the names to watch in the coming days, according to multiple sources, Romero wrote in an X post on Sunday morning.”
Seeing the Cubs potentially interested in Suarez is not a surprise, considering the team seems to be talking to multiple third basemen at this time. Chicago was also interested in trading for him at the 2025 deadline.
Suarez is coming off one of the best power seasons of his career, launching 49 home runs and driving in 118 runs across 159 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. The 12-year veteran would give the Cubs another big-time power bat in their lineups.
He has hit at least 30 home runs in six of the last seven years (excluding the shortened 2020 season) and has finished with a 3.1 WAR or better in three of the past four seasons. While his low batting average and high strikeout rate are major concerns, he outweighs those negatives with his above-average power.
The Cubs likely prefer Bregman over Suarez, as most teams do, but there’s a chance the front office really likes the latter due to the money. The veteran will cost a lot less than Bregman in free agency.
According to Spotrac, Suarez is only projected to receive a two-year, $29 million contract in free agency. That’s a significant difference from Bregman’s projected contract of four years, $112 million (per Spotrac).
Therefore, the Cubs' interest in Suarez could be for real.
He will be a much cheaper option, and his arrival could still mean Matt Shaw gets a majority of reps at third base. With Suarez finishing the 2025 season with a -3 Fielding Run Value, the Cubs could put him primarily at designated hitter.
With the Winter Meetings officially beginning on Sunday, the next few days will be extremely interesting. Rumors/reports will heat up, and several players could come off the free agent board.
One way or another, the Cubs are looking for some type of upgrade at the third base position. That could come by adding a big-time bat like Suarez.