Reds offseason plan becomes clearer and could spell doom for Eugenio Suárez reunion

The idea of a reunion with free agent infielder Eugenio Suárez is obviously intriguing to the Cincinnati Reds fanbase. Geno was beloved during his time with the Reds, and has an affinity for the city that he called home for seven years. But signing Suárez brings a number of questions along with it. How much would it cost? What position would he play? How will he bounce back after his second-half collapse in Seattle?

All of those are valid questions that have been raised by a group of Reds fans who are concerned about reuniting with Suárez. Every Reds fan knows the type of power, leadership, and fun-loving spirit Suárez brings to the game, but he's not without his flaws.

Suárez was staring down an MVP-type season in 2025 until he was traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Seattle Mariners. Prior to the deal, Suárez was hitting .248/.320/.576 with 36 home runs and 87 RBI. But after landing in the Emerald City, he hit just .189/.255/.428 with 13 round-trippers and 31 RBI during the final two months of the season.

Reds plans for Sal Stewart may take Eugenio Suárez off the board

Suárez has always been a streaky player. The Reds know that, and yet, are still interested in signing him to a free agent deal. One has wonder, however, how serious Cincinnati is in their pursuit. Not only would signing Suárez be costly in terms of salary, but it could greatly impact Sal Stewart's development.

Stewart made a guest appearance on MLB Network earlier this week and revealed that Reds manager Terry Francona wanted him to focus on playing first and third base in 2026. Ironically, if the Reds were to sign Suárez, one can assume that he'd occupy a similar role. Do the Reds really want to block their top prospect by signing an aging infielder who's defense fell off a cliff last season?

Suárez has been a solid defender in years past, but last season, he was worth -6 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -3 outs above average (OAA). Many have assumed that he'll make the move across the diamond to first base, but with Stewart and Gold Glove finalist Spencer Steer slated to cover the cold corner, that feels like a mistake.

The Reds could always choose to move Steer back to left field — a position he played throughout the majority of the 2024 season — and rotate Suárez and Stewart between first base and DH. While that's arguably the best way to get the most out of the Reds' lineup, Steer is subpar defender in the outfield, and neither Suárez nor Stewart have much of a track record at first base.

Rather than re-signing Suárez and thereby create a logjam in the infield, the Reds should simply re-sign Austin Hays and rotate Stewart between first and third base and DH. Hays doesn't bring the same reputation as Suárez, but he's probably the better fit given the Reds' roster construction.

If Tito instructed Stewart to slim down and put in work at first and third base, it'd be a crime not to reward his efforts this offseason. Stewart should have to earn a position on the Reds Opening Day roster just like everyone else, but adding Suárez only complicates matters.