Reds could be forced into a difficult Eugenio Suárez decision nobody wanted

By now, most Cincinnati Reds fans are coming to terms with an unfortunate truth about this year's iteration of the franchise: They're just not good enough. Saddled with one of the league's worst run differentials and mired in last place in the ultra-competitive NL Central, Terry Francona's squad simply doesn't have the firepower to compete with the titans of the Senior Circuit in 2026.

That's not to say all hope is lost. They're still in the NL Wild Card chase, and knowing that Hunter Greene is soon to make his triumphant return only furthers the case for those choosing to be optimistic about the Reds' chances.

However, asking one player — even one as talented as Greene — to alter the course of a sinking ship is an unfair task. Too many of the team's expected stars are just faltering too frequently this year.

One of those stars in particular, Eugenio Suárez, has come so far from living up to expectations that he may actually be playing himself off the team leading up to the trade deadline.

Reds' dwindling playoff hopes may land Eugenio Suárez on the trade block

Let's not mince words here: Suárez isn't likely to be traded by the Reds, barring a complete and total collapse on either side of the All-Star Break prior to the August 3 trade deadline. He's a beloved figure in Cincinnati who was the team's big blockbuster signing over the offseason. Trading him away would make little sense if they're within a stone's throw of playoff position.

That's especially true if you subscribe to the camp that the team should capitalize on Nathaniel Lowe's breakout campaign by dealing him instead. In that case, Suárez could very easily slide into the full-time DH role (with a part-time gig at third base) once Ke'Bryan Hayes is ready to return.

From a logistical standpoint, that would be the cleanest order of operations. Lowe has not only been much better than Suárez this year, but he's also playing on a salary that's far less than what Geno is making. Notably, both are rentals, which may actually be a good thing this year knowing that teams are interested in shedding payroll, rather than adding it, ahead of the impending 2027 lockout.

If that rental status helps Suárez's $15 million salary go down easier for some teams, then great. He's the owner of a career-worst 72 wRC+ and some pretty ugly defensive metrics this season, all of which have made him worth -0.6 fWAR. If you removed his name from the equation, most fans would argue that trading such a player would be an obvious decision.

Calling it addition by subtraction would be a bad-faith argument, but it's also unrealistic to say Suárez has been good this season. If the Reds' competitive hopes are dashed once August rolls around, it would behoove the front office to see if they could fetch anything for their expensive slugger.

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