Former Reds slugger drawing trade interest as Mariners pivot toward contact hitters

According to Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto, via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, contact hitters will be a priority for Seattle this offseason.

That could spell trouble for former Cincinnati Reds slugger Eugenio Suarez. The former Reds All-Star had one of the highest strikeout-rates in the league for a second season in a row, and with the Mariners looking to cut down on the swings and misses, Geno could be out the door.

In fact, it appears as though Suarez already has a potential suitor. According to Ben Nicolson-Smith of Sportsnet, Geno is already on the Blue Jays' radar as Toronto may be looking to fill the void at third base with Matt Chapman entering free agency.

Former Reds slugger drawing trade interest as Mariners pivot toward contact hitters

Eugenio Suarez was one of the mostt beloved Cincinnati Reds players of the past decade. Geno's infectious smile and positive attitude endeared him to the Reds fanbase. The fact that Suarez would launch 420-foot homers into the upper deck at Great American Ball Park didn't hurt either.

But Geno was dealt to the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2022 season when the Reds began their fire sale. Suarez, along with fellow fan-favorite Jesse Winker, was traded to Seattle in exchage for pitchers Justin Dunn, Brandon Williamson, Connor Phillips, and outfielder Jake Fraley.

Since his arrival in the Emerald City, Suarez has gained a following among Mariners fans as well. But the high number of strikeouts don't appear to be sitting well with the Seattle front office.

Eugenio Suarez has massive pop in his bat, but according to Baseball Savant, the slugger was in the 11th percentile (32.8-percent) in whiff-rate and the 10th percentile in strikeout-rate (30.8-percent).

Whether he ends up in Toronto or elsewhere, it sounds as if the former Cincinnati Reds slugger won't be calling Seattle home for much longer.