Eugenio Suarez signing saves Reds from chasing the wrong reunion

Cincinnati Reds fans can finally rejoice. The club has landed the power bat they've sought all offseason, and it comes with a fan-favorite returning to the fold as Eugenio Suarez inks a one-year, $15 million deal to return to the Queen City after a four-year hiatus.

The deal also includes a $16 million mutual option for 2027, but all-in-all, this is a bargain for the best remaining slugger left on the market. That will bring a sigh of relief to fans who were told all offseason that payroll would remain flat. Instead, Cincinnati will see a slight uptick, and the club will reportedly not make a corresponding move to cut costs.

There is another reason to rejoice. Geno stepping into the lineup eliminates the possibility that the Reds would pursue a different reunion, one that would have come in the form of a salary dump trade to acquire slumping slugger Nick Castellanos.

The Reds' deal with Eugenio Suarez saves them from making a mistake by bringing back Nick Castellanos

Castellanos parlayed a career-year with the Reds, in which he slashed .309/.362/.576 with 34 dingers, into a five-year, $100 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Since leaving, he's been roughly a league-average hitter, posting a high-water mark of a 108 wRC+ in 2023 and a low point of 90 last season.

In the final year of his deal, there have been rumors swirling all offseason that the Phillies would like to move his $20 million off the books. After a career-worst showing in 2025, they were clearly going to need to eat some money to do so.

That might have attracted the Reds, who, after striking out on Kyle Schwarber, hadn't seemed to gain any traction with the other free-agent big boppers, but desperately needed to add some power potential to the lineup.

In theory, Castellanos would have been the better roster fit, as well. Cincinnati's biggest need was in the outfield, and that has been his primary position since 2018. Playing the outfield and playing it well are two different things, however, and Castellanos has been brutal on the grass ever since he moved out there. Over 1208.1 innings last season, he posted minus-12 outs above average while roaming right field last season.

Suarez will cause the deck to be shuffled, but he's now expected to primarily DH while also covering both corner infield spots. Much has been made about his defense declining as he enters his age-34 season, but the minus-3 OAA he posted last year shows his glove is still serviceable for part-time work.

The Reds will still be able to get their top hitters in the lineup every day with Suarez, and more importantly, they get a slugger who is coming off a 49-homer campaign, as opposed to one with declining exit velocities and a paltry .694 OPS last season.

If the Reds had pursued the Castellanos path, they still would be taking on considerable salary while also surrendering a low-end prospect, all for a roll of the dice. Instead, they get a guy who they know will mash in Great American Ball Park (and on the road) without sacrificing any minor league depth, for only a couple bucks more.

As big a win as reuniting with Suarez is, it's further enhanced by not having to make the desperation play and bring Castellanos in for a second tour of duty.