Eugenio Suarez surviving waivers gives him a chance to cement Reds legacy

The drama surrounding Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suárez ended about as quickly as it began. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported early on Thursday morning that Suárez and TJ Friedl were placed on outright waivers, but by Thursday afternoon Cincinnati reporter Charlie Goldsmith disclosed that both players cleared waivers and will remain with the team.

This wasn't the first time this season that other teams were tempted to steal Suárez away from the Reds. His name was bandied about in trade rumors in the weeks leading up to the August 3 deadline, but no deal was ever made. Suárez will now finish out the 2026 season with the Reds — the team with which he became a star.

Geno's not having the type of season everyone was expecting when he signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Reds back in February. He was coming off a 49-homer campaign in 2025 and was supposed to anchor a young Cincinnati lineup that needed a veteran bat in the middle of the order to take them to the promised land.

Unfortunately, Suarez is barely hitting above the Mendoza line and has yet to eclipse 20 home runs on the season. While the oblique injury that sidelined Suárez for about month has undoubtedly played a role in his lack of production this season, he's hitting just .208/.295/.410 with 19 home runs, 57 RBI, and a 91 wRC+.

But Suárez has also produced some memorable moments for Reds fans in 2026, not the least of which was his grand slam on Wednesday at Oracle Park to pull Cincinnati within one of the San Francisco Giants. The Reds mounted an epic comeback during the final inning and took down the Giants by a final score of 10-9.

Suárez has also enjoyed some personal accomplishments in 2026. Earlier this year, Geno recorded his 1,000 RBI with a pinch-hit single against his former club, the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's also ascending the Reds' record books, having already passed Brandon Phillips, Barry Larkin, and Eric Davis on the all-time home runs list.

Eugenio Suárez can keep climbing the Reds' all-time list

Geno now has Ken Griffey Jr. in his sights, and can pass the Hall of Famer with just three more big flies in 2026. He would then secure the No. 9 spot among the Cincinnati's all-time home run leaders. Jay Bruce is No. 8 with 233 homers, and even an Aristides Aquino-esque streak in September wouldn't be enough for Suárez to usurp the former Reds outfielder.

Suárez is just outside the top-25 all-time RBI leaders Reds history with 581. He'd need 24 over the team's final 28 games in order pass Sean Casey. That would take an extremely productive month at the dish, but Suárez has been heating up of late. In the month of August, he has an .863 OPS, five homers, 18 RBI, and a 134 wRC+. If he can keep that momentum going into September, he might have a chance to crack the top-25.

More than the numbers themselves, it'll be good for the players in the clubhouse to have Geno around for the final month of the season. The 2026 season hasn't worked out the way anyone in the organization had hoped, but Suárez is always able to make the best of any situation — good or bad.

The good vibes will remain in Cincinnati through the end of the year, and while some fans may scoff at the idea, the Reds should entertain re-signing Suárez during the offseason. And if you want to question why, just look at the free agent bats who'll be available this coming winter. Suddenly, bringing back Geno doesn't look so bad after all.

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