From Cubs killer to Cubs savior? Eugenio Suárez linked to Chicago

Dan Hamilton - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 4 hours ago

When the 2025 Chicago Cubs began constructing their roster for the regular season, the single biggest question mark was what this team would do at third base. That has been an ongoing question since Kris Bryant was traded, as the Cubs haven't been able to find a long-term option since.

It seemed like they had an idea in mind, with the plan for rookie Matt Shaw to win the job in the Spring and then run with it while learning on the job. That plan came to a screaming halt when Shaw got injured in the Spring, as the Cubs had to rely on Vidal Brujan, Jon Berti, and Gage Workman to hold down the fort.

Not only did neither of them secure the job, but Workman was traded within the first month of the season, while the other two have fallen into a reserve-only role with minimal starts coming their way. Eventually, Shaw got healthy and once again took over the third base job, but needless to say, it has been a struggle since.

While his defense is more than MLB-ready at this point, his offense has a ways to go, which is why the Cubs sent him down to AAA for three weeks only to call him back up in May. The immediate results were promising as Shaw started to show what made him such a valuable prospect, but since the calendar turned to June, Shaw is once again struggling, leading the Cubs to potentially turn to the trade market to upgrade at third base.

The one name that has started to come up is Eugenio Suarez, whom the Cubs fans are all too familiar with during his time with the Reds, Mariners, and Diamondbacks. This season, especially, has seen Suarez make a name for himself, as he has connected for 25 homers and 67 RBIs thus far, and has always been known as a Cubs killer.

Take this season, for example. Not only did Suarez homer four times in the Cubs' first series with the Diamondbacks, but he added two more at Wrigley later in the season, as more than 25% of his homers this season have come against the Cubs. Granted, his strikeout rate is extremely high and will likely remain so, but his .251/.321/.The 569 slash line is much better than people realize.

Suarez is also a right-handed power bat that would look great in this lineup, as you could put him in the No. 5 spot to split up Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch. It was also allow the Cubs to get Dansby Swanson out of the five hole and back down to the no—7 or No. 8 spot where he was thriving this season.

Whenever you bring in or inquire about a player like Suarez, the initial thought process is what happens to Shaw or some of these young players. Could they be part of the trade? Of course, they could, but Suarez is in the final year of his deal, so adding him wouldn't block Shaw from being the long-term option at third once his offense catches up.

Being a free agent after this season essentially means he is a rental bat, thus requiring a lesser-known prospect or a smaller package to finalize the deal. That sounds like something the Cubs would do in a heartbeat if Suarez is indeed available, as he is the power bat in the middle of the order that the Cubs are missing from the right side.

You add him to their current lineup, you are putting six players who have or will have 20-plus homers this season, which is hard to imagine. You are also adding someone who has crushed the Cubs in the past, so instead of waiting for him to crush you, you have an opportunity to see him crush other teams.

That is another reason for the Cubs to trade for Suárez: if the Cubs get him, that means that another team that the Cubs might face in the postseason won’t acquire him and would prevent him from teeing off on the Cubs on the biggest stage. That alone is a win in itself and is something the Cubs will have to consider.

With the reports surfacing that the Cubs not only check in on Rafael Devers but are also linked to Alex Bregman as a trade option, it's clear the Cubs are looking for more from third base and are going to do whatever it takes to make something happen. This is a classic deadline deal that most contending teams make, as his addition to this lineup would be a massive upgrade over anyone else on this team's bench.