Reunion time again? Mariners fan favorite Eugenio Suárez reportedly on waivers

Update: Eugenio Suárez reportedly went unclaimed to clear waivers and is remaining with the Cincinnati Reds, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.

Fan favorite Eugenio Suárez and the Seattle Mariners reunited last year, and it ended with a trip to the ALCS that fell just a few outs short of the first World Series appearance in team history.

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If the Mariners have any inclination to give that another try, they reportedly have an opportunity now.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Cincinnati Reds placed Suárez – as well as outfielder TJ Friedl – on outright waivers Wednesday.

That means any other MLB team can make a claim on either player over a 48-hour period. If multiple teams make a claim on one of the players, their contract will be awarded to the one with the worst record this season.

The timing is important, as players are only eligible to play in the postseason if they are on a team’s roster by Aug. 31.

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi speculated Thursday morning that “Geno” could be a fit back in Seattle.

“The Mariners are in prime position, if they are interested in an Act III with Suárez,” Morosi wrote on social media. “Waiver claims are awarded in reverse standings order; Seattle has one of the worst records of any viable contender.”

The facts of the situation

The Mariners, who have the day off Thursday, sit at a 64-70 record, which is only 2 1/2 games back of the first-place Houston Astros (66-67) in the AL West, which has been the worst division in baseball by record this year.

Suárez signed a one-year, $15 million contract in the offseason to return to Cincinnati, where he broke out as a standout slugger over his first tenure with the team from 2015-21. He was traded to the Mariners in 2022 and had a pair of strong seasons with Seattle, then was sent to Arizona ahead of the 2024 campaign.

The Mariners re-acquired Suárez at the MLB trade deadline last July, when he was maybe the most coveted player available. He finished last season with 49 home runs, which tied a career-high, but he hit just .189 with 13 homers in 53 games in the regular season with Seattle.

Suárez made last year’s trade worth it in the ALCS, going 8 for 26 (.308) with two home runs, a double, seven RBIs and a .956 OPS in seven games against the Toronto Blue Jays. Those two homers came in the same game and included a go-ahead grand slam in a Game 5 win that will stand as one of the most memorable hits in Mariners postseason history.

EUGENIO SUÁREZ GRAND SLAM!!

SEATTLE IS SHAKING!!

📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/lOId9STGLB

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 18, 2025

The 2026 season has been a struggle for the 35-year-old Suárez, though. He is slashing .208/.295/.410 for a .705 OPS with 19 homers and a minus-0.4 bWAR in 103 games. He has played 63 games as a designated hitter and another 39 at third base, but he is grading as a well below average defender this year.

Suárez has a little less than $3 million left on his contract for the rest of this season.

Why ‘Geno’ could be a fit again for the M’s

Despite his rough numbers and remaining salary, Suárez could still be an upgrade at third base for the time being for the Mariners. Starting third baseman Brendan Donovan is currently on the seven-day concussion injured list and prized rookie shortstop Colt Emerson’s season is over due to wrist surgery, leaving J.P. Crawford, Weston Wilson and rookie Brock Rodden as the primary options to cover the left side of Seattle’s infield.

Crawford (.212 average, .673 OPS) just returned from injury this week and has been limited to 89 games due to multiple IL stints, while Wilson (.197 average, minus-0.7 bWAR) hasn’t looked great defensively at third base. Rodden, meanwhile, is hitting .188 (6 for 32) and is just 11 games into his MLB career.

There’s always the possibility that the streaky Suárez, who hit a grand slam in a seven-run ninth inning for the Reds that led to a 10-9 comeback win over the Giants on Wednesday, could heat up.

🚨 GENO GRAND SLAM 🚨 pic.twitter.com/vv0qAN1ChL

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 26, 2026

And there’s little doubt that bringing him back to Seattle would be a mood lifter for the clubhouse, just as it was when he was a surprise arrival on the Mariners’ team plane after they lost a road series to the Athletics on the same night as the trade with Arizona to reacquire him was pulled off last year.

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