The Yankees might be standing at the edge of a golden opportunity, and Eugenio Suarez could be the missing spark they crave.
During All-Star break interviews, Suarez didn’t shy away from hinting at how thrilled he’d be to don pinstripes.
For Yankees fans starved for October glory, that’s the kind of talk that stirs the soul and sets imaginations racing.
Suarez’s power makes him a near-perfect Yankee fit
Suarez is exactly the kind of slugger Brian Cashman tends to drool over when crafting a championship roster.
At 33, the Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman is crushing baseballs, slashing .250/.320/.569 with a .889 OPS.
He’s already clubbed 31 home runs, ranking among baseball’s most dangerous power hitters, living in the 86th percentile for barrel rate.
He’s like a sledgehammer disguised as a bat, launching towering shots that would play well in Yankee Stadium’s cozy dimensions.
Pull-side power and Yankee Stadium go hand in hand
Suarez thrives on pulling the ball with authority to left field; while right field has the short right porch, he wouldn’t have any problem belting homers to left.
The Yankees have long built offenses around right-handed power bats who feast on fastballs and punish mistakes.
Adding Suarez to a lineup that already features Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton would be borderline unfair for opposing pitchers.
It’s the kind of lineup depth that can overwhelm teams in a playoff series, stacking threats from top to bottom.
Defensive shortcomings are real, but the Yankees can live with them
Of course, there’s the pesky matter of Suarez’s glove. Defensively, he’s a step below average, prone to lapses that frustrate pitchers.
Still, the Yankees have survived shaky defense at third before, most recently with Jazz Chisholm, who looked out of place on the hot corner.
If Suarez’s bat delivers as expected, his glove becomes a secondary concern — a flaw fans might gladly tolerate if he’s launching moonshots nightly.
Suarez has already spoken on a move to New York
Speaking to SNY during All-Star festivities, Suarez made it clear he’d relish a chance to help the Yankees chase a title.
“It’s a team that wants to win. They’re hungry still. If I got over there, I would do my best and try to help them win the World Series,” Suarez said, practically handing the Yankees a recruiting brochure.
That kind of mentality paired with elite power is tough to resist, even if it comes with defensive warts.
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The Yankees will have to pay up for this kind of bat
Suarez is on an expiring deal, but the Diamondbacks won’t just give him away. They’re fully aware of how his market is heating up.
Brian Cashman will have to part with legitimate talent from a farm system that’s impressed this year, opening doors for exactly these trades.
Given the Yankees’ rotation health issues and bullpen needs, balancing prospect capital could get tricky.
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