Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona had a message for Eugenio Suarez after his stint for Team Venezuela at the WBC.
The Cincinnati Reds are welcoming back one of their biggest offseason additions following an impressive run on the international stage. Veteran right-handed slugger Eugenio Suarez spent the past two weeks representing Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, and his performance gave both fans and his new team plenty to be excited about.
Suarez, who signed a one‑year, $15 million contract with Cincinnati in February, is expected to play a major role in the middle of the Reds lineup this season. His return to the organization, where he spent some of the best years of his career from 2015 to 2021, has already generated plenty of optimism.
Before even stepping back into the Reds clubhouse, he made headlines with his play on the biggest international stage.
After Suarez’s strong showing, Reds manager Terry Francona made it clear how excited the organization is to have him back. “He is an impact hitter,” Francona said on Wednesday (h/t Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). “I think we are all thrilled for him. I hope playing in a couple of those games and playing the whole game can kind of make up for some of the time he has missed here with us.”
Suarez appeared in five games during the tournament, going 4‑for‑20 with two home runs and four RBIs. His biggest moment came in the championship game, when he delivered a go‑ahead RBI double in the ninth inning to lift Venezuela to a 3‑2 victory over Team USA, securing the country’s first WBC title.
That clutch performance is exactly what the Reds hope carries over into the regular season. Even at 34 years old, Suarez remains one of the game’s premier power hitters. Last season, split between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners, he launched 49 home runs and drove in 118 RBIs, finishing with a .228 batting average, .298 on‑base percentage and .824 OPS.
Cincinnati is counting on that power to anchor the lineup, especially as the team looks to build on last year’s progress and return to the postseason.
For Suarez, the 2026 season also represents a meaningful reunion. His most productive years came in a Reds uniform, including an All‑Star campaign and multiple seasons in which he received National League MVP votes. Now he returns with even more experience and momentum from a championship‑winning performance on the international stage.
If his WBC heroics are any indication, Suarez could once again become a central figure in Cincinnati’s lineup as they push toward contention.