Sonny Gray shouldn't be the only Reds player Cincy looks to reunite with in 2025

Much has been made about a potential reunion between the Reds and Sonny Gray, but the former Cy Young finalist isn’t the only former player whose homecoming would pay off for Cincinnati. The uncertainty at third base after Noelvi Marte’s disappointing season could be resolved with the return of Eugenio Suarez.

Whether the Arizona Diamondbacks will pick up Suarez’s club option for 2025 remains to be seen. As recently as June, Arizona was willing to shop the third baseman. Over the first half of the season, Suarez posted mediocre numbers. His .216 batting average and 48 RBI made the D-backs question their decision to trade for the slugger prior to the 2024 season.

Suarez’s second half complicates a potential move. He completely turned his season around, posting a .307/.341/.602 line since the All-Star break and keeping Arizona in the Wild Card race until the bitter end. In fact, he was so good during the final months of the season that he wound up posting his best season numbers since 2019.

Eugenio Suarez could be the answer to the Reds’ third base problems, but will Arizona play ball?

Thus, Arizona faces a difficult question. Which Suarez will show up in 2025? He performed fairly well during his two seasons in Seattle; clubbing 53 homers. But Suarez tended to be, as always, a high-power, high-strikeout guy. He led the NL in strikeouts during both of his seasons with the Mariners.

These tendencies may pressure the D-backs to cut ties. Suarez doesn’t seem to fit the mold of a team that led the majors in batting average and on-base percentage and had the third-fewest number of strikeouts in the NL.

The problem is, Suarez doesn’t seem to fit the new mold of the Reds either. Team president Nick Krall and manager Terry Francona are pushing a get ‘em on, get ‘em over, get ‘em in mindset. Liners, patience, and hitting to all fields are priorities. Suarez isn’t that guy. His pull rate is approaching 50%.

If the D-backs do part ways with Suarez, he will be owed a $2 million buyout and will hit the free-agent market. Beyond Alex Bregman, it’s a relatively slim market at the hot corner, so Suarez could command a high price. The Reds, though, have heard the call that now is the time to spend. Perhaps a reunion is the place to start.

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