Checking in on former Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suárez

The Cincinnati Reds front office was hugely unpopular earlier this year when Nick Krall made the decision to trade Eugenio Suárez and Jesse Winker to the Seatttle Mariners. in return, the Reds received Jake Fraley, Brandon Williamson, Justin Dunn, and Connor Phillips.

It'll take a few years to see who actually "won" the trade, but the Redlegs certainly lost in the court of public opinion. The move was viewed by the fanbase, and rightfully so, as a cost-cutting maneuver on the part of the Reds ownership.

By attaching Suárez's contract to the deal that sent one of their better players to the Pacific Northwest, Cincinnati rid themselves of remaining three year and $33M owed to their former third baseman. So how is Geno doing with his new club?

How has former Reds 3B Eugenio Suárez faired with the Mariners?

Eugenio Suárez appears to have regained his form. The former Cincinnati Reds third baseman hit 49 home runs in 2019, but in 2020 and 2021, the slugger struggled just to stay above the Mendoza line. In fact, he was unable to do that in 2021.

Last season, Geno followed up a year in which he hit jus .202 with a slash line of .198/.286/.428. Suárez posted a wRC+ of just 85 and he owned a 29.8% strikeout-rate according to FanGraphs.

This season with the Seattle Mariners, not much has changed for Suárez in terms of batting average or strikeout-rate, but the 30-year-old has gotten back to punishing baseballs, as his slugging percentage is creeping near .440 and he has seven round trippers on the season.

In short, no much has changed for Geno from last season to 2022, but the slugger does look much more confident at the plate. Whether it was the shoulder injury in 2020 or the position change in 2021, Eugenio Suárez just didn't seem like himself.

The Cincinnati Reds may have sold low on Suárez, but it did get them off the hook for the remaining $30M-plus still on his current deal. I miss Geno's smile and upbeat attitude, but it's good to see him trending in the right direction.

Mariners' fans have seen glimpses of the old Eugenio Suárez during the first month-plus of the 2022 season, and we all know how quickly his bat can heat up. Here's hoping Geno continues to experience good vibes only