Reds’ refusal to make a big deadline splash might be a blessing in disguise

The Cincinnati Reds had the opportunity to bring Eugenio Suárez home at this year's trade deadline, but instead made a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates for third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes.

Once the Reds passed on the opportunity to bring Suárez back to Cincinnati, the Seattle Mariners swooped in and made a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for arguably the hottest name at this year's deadline.

But based on the early-returns, the Reds may have made the right decision. Geno has struggled mightily since arriving in Seattle, and while Hayes' bat has been disappointing, the same cannot be said of his glove. The Reds refusal to bring Suárez back to the Queen City may be a blessing in disguise.

Reds’ refusal to make a trade deadline splash for Eugenio Suárez might be a blessing in disguise

The Mariners acquired Suárez from the D-backs for a prospect package of first base prospect Tyler Locklear and right-handers Hunter Cranton and Juan Burgos. All three prospects were among the top-20 organizationally for the Mariners. If you were to attempt to find an equivalent for the Reds, perhaps a combination of Sammy Stafura (who was traded to the Pirates for Hayes), Jose Franco, and Tristan Smith gets a deal done.

One would think the Reds would do that type of deal in heartbeat if it meant Suárez and his bat would help carry Cincinnati to the postseason. Unfortunately for the Mariners, Geno's been awful since the trade. The former Reds third baseman is hitting just .105/.146/.211 with a 36.6% strikeout rate since landing in Seattle. Even Hayes — who's known for his glove, not his bat — has a better slash line (.176/.200/.294) since being traded.

The old adage is that sometimes it's the trade you don't make. Perhaps that's where the Reds will land once the the 2025 season comes to a close. Obviously Suárez, who's a streaky-hitter, could catch fire for the Mariners and help push Seattle in to the postseason over the final few weeks of the season. Nevertheless, Reds fans would've been sorely disappointed if Suárez was traded to Cincy and put up the type of numbers he has with the Mariners thus far.

The Reds, it appears, preferred to secure a long-term solution and went with the defensive-minded Hayes at third base for the remainder of this season and into the future. Hayes in under contract through at least 2029, and his $8.85 million AAV is extremely affordable if he can push his offensive production to at least league-average.

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