Eugenio Suárez rumors resurface but one Reds lineup change looms large

The Cincinnati Reds targeted Eugenio Suarez at last year's trade deadline, but ultimately couldn't pay up to re-acquire their former star. Since then, the fit between Suarez and the Reds this offseason has been perfect and complicated at the same time.

The slugger brings the power that Cincinnati desperately needs, but the tight payroll situation makes it tough to see how the club could land the two-time All-Star. At least, it will be difficult without a subsequent transaction to clear payroll.

There is another hurdle to clear, however, and it has to do with navigating the positional logjam that is the corner infield situation. Spencer Steer could hold the key to making the whole thing work.

Reds Rumors: Adding Eugenio Suarez is a real possibility, but there are a lot of moving pieces

The rumors between the Reds and Suarez are heating up, with Jon Heyman indicating that Cincinnati could get back into the mix for its former star, ending what seemed to be a cold point between the free agent and the club. Compared to the moves the Reds have made on the offensive side of the ball, the 34-year-old solves the need for power in the lineup to a degree that is drastically significant.

But in order for it to work, it likely means undoing the platoon they created for left field with the additions of JJ Bleday and Dane Myers. Bleday is something of a reclamation project, whose best season came in 2024 when he hit 20 homers and posted a .762 OPS. He's no guarantee to reach that relatively modest level of production again, however. Myers, meanwhile, would only ever see the field against southpaws.

Signing Suarez means kicking Steer out to left field, which is why his versatility is so important. With that said, the 28-year-old has only been about a league-average bat over his career with a 103 wRC+. That's not a bad thing to have in your lineup, but it's hardly irreplaceable, either.

To that end. In addition to the boost in pop that Suarez would give the Reds, he'd also present them with the gift of options. Let's say, for example, that Steer struggles this season. In that case, the Reds could simply reinstate the Bleday-Myers platoon. Another possible hypothetical would be what would happen if Ke'Bryan Hayes were to get hurt or perform so poorly with the bat that his glove no longer makes up for it. The Reds then would have options to cover the hot corner and could slide Steer back to first.

Depth is important, and by reuniting with their former star, the Reds could improve that piece of the puzzle while raising the ceiling at the same time. In this case, problems are only problems if you choose to see them that way.