Is Eugenio Suárez the bat to watch at the trade deadline? Plus: Acuña's incredible throw

New York Times

6 days ago

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Does your team need Eugenio Suárez? Is he even available?
Plus: The A's might be dealing pitchers, the Reds remind us that learning is supposed to be fun, and holy moly, did you see the throw? I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup!
With the All-Star break officially behind us, and the trade deadline just 10 days away (here's our deadline big board for a catch-up), let's look at a player who I think could be the most impactful bat available: Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suárez.
First things first: Will the Diamondbacks even sell? At 50-50, they're just 4 1/2 games out of a playoff spot. But as Ken tells us here — with so many Arizona players set to hit free agency this year — their deadline strategy should be about more than just this year.
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If they do intend to sell, Suárez has gotten hot at exactly the right time: Not only does he have a .929 OPS, but he hit two home runs each Saturday and Sunday to bring his NL-leading total to 35.
Being a third baseman also adds to the allure — here are four playoff hopefuls whose fWAR contributions from third base rank in the bottom half of the league:
Cubs: minus-0.5 (T-27th out of 30 teams)
Brewers/Mariners: 0.6 (T-22nd)
Mets: 1.0 (19th)
Additionally, the Yankees just jettisoned DJ LeMahieu and moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base. They're definitely in the market. And add in teams who have faced recent injuries — Alec Bohm (ribs) in Philadelphia, Isaac Paredes (hamstring) in Houston and Max Muncy (bone bruise)with the Dodgers.
Suárez, 34, isn't a defensive whiz — his DRS of minus-5 ranks 15th out of 17 qualified players. But that sort of offensive production covers up a multitude of defensive sins.
This feels like the sort of perfect storm to muster up a bidding war that could help set the Diamondbacks up for years to come.
More trade deadline coverage: It's a lot! We have stories on the Mets, Guardians, Blue Jays, Giants, Mets again, Phillies, Twins and Cardinals, and Jed Hoyer praising Craig Breslow's 'conviction.'
Miller on the move? A year ago, Athletics closer Mason Miller was untouchable. To this point, the A's messaging this season — we're not talking about him — is pretty much the same. But according to sources briefed on the team's plans, that stance is subject to change.
The way the A's see it, only a few teams are bold enough to propose an offer for Miller worthy of consideration. General manager David Forst might engage those teams as the deadline nears. But for now, he appears willing to let them grow more desperate.
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Which teams might tempt the A's? The Philadelphia Phillies, who reached an agreement yesterday with free-agent reliever David Robertson, probably would be No. 1 on the list. The Los Angeles Dodgers, with free agents Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates performing below expectations, almost certainly would be in the mix. So would the New York Yankees, who face the losses of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to free agency.
The San Diego Padres just sent three relievers to the All-Star Game, but general manager A.J. Preller can never be ruled out on top talent. Nor, for that matter, can Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto.
Still, the A's asking price for Miller would figure to be exorbitant. Miller, 26, is earning $765,000 this season, just $5,000 above the league minimum, then is under club control for four additional seasons through salary arbitration. His expected 2.84 ERA is well below his actual 4.04 mark, thanks in part to a 40.1 percent strikeout rate that was in the top 1 percent of the league.
Sears, Springs, Severino all in play: At a time when the supply of controllable starting pitching is decidedly scarce, the Athletics are listening not just on right-hander Luis Severino but also lefties JP Sears and Jeffrey Springs.
Before the Cleveland Guardians knocked him around Sunday, Springs, 32, had a 2.94 ERA since June 1 and 3.93 mark overall. He is earning $10.5 million this season and guaranteed another $10.5 million next season. His deal also includes a $15 million club option for 2027.
Sears, 29, might not crack a contender's playoff rotation, but some teams might consider him a viable back-end starter for the rest of the regular season. His 84 starts since 2023 are tied for fifth in the majors. And his ERA at Sutter Health Park this season (5.61) is nearly a run higher than it is on the road (4.78).
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For the A's, the idea of trading Sears would be to turn back the service clock by acquiring pitchers whose timelines lined up better with their young position players. Sears is under control through arbitration for three more seasons and eligible for free agency after 2028.
Then there is Severino, 31, the most vocal objector to Sutter Health Park. His underlying metrics will scare off some clubs, as will his $25 million salary in 2026 and $22 million player option for '27. If a team acquires him, it surely will point to his 3.10 road ERA, compared to his 6.68 home ERA, as justification for the move.
More notes here.
When I was a kid, my dad used to play a game with us. In retrospect, it was definitely a baseball drill, but he game-ified it. If his mitt was directly in front of his face when he caught a throw: two points. If it was in front of any other part of his torso: one point. Anywhere else: no points.
My brothers and I played this for hours, and wouldn't you know it — our accuracy improved.
Baseball teams do these types of drills a lot in spring training, but you don't hear about it that much in the regular season. But C.Trent Rosecrans has a fun story about the Reds doing just that … and how it immediately paid off.
First off, the team showed up a day early in New York to start the second half, allowing it to get a workout day in (this is newsworthy on its own, I think). On that workout day (Thursday), the Reds played a game, similar to a home run derby, but the points were assigned for hitting the ball to the opposite field. Two points for a single, three for a double and five for a home run.
Not only did Austin Hays win the competition, but the next night, he hit two opposite-field home runs in a win over the Mets. Cincinnati took two of three over the weekend and is 2 1/2 out of the last NL wild-card spot.
More Reds: Could Noelvi Marte's most helpful role be as an outfielder? We're going to find out …
It has been quite some time since I've seen a throw that immediately felt like an all-timer. But watch this one from Ronald Acuña Jr. to end the third inning of Friday night's game against the Yankees.
UNBELIEVABLE 🤯
RONALD ACUÑA JR. WITH THE CANNON 💪 pic.twitter.com/ulbyTMzjib
— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2025
From another angle…
David O'Brien has more here, with quotes from Acuña, along with Braves manager Brian Snitker and pitcher Spencer Strider, who was on the mound when it happened.
Because the throw got to third base in the air, it got me wondering: What's the longest recorded throw in the Statcast area?
That was an easy answer: It was Ramón Laureáno's 321-foot throw in 2019 to double off Eric Young Jr. (This one was probably longer, but didn't get counted because it was thrown too far).
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But the search also led me to a name I didn't recognize, and I can't rob you of this arcane bit of information: The world record for longest baseball throw apparently belongs to a man named Glen Gorbous, who played just 117 big-league games for the Reds and Phillies in the 1950s.
Gorbous' throw didn't happen in a game — it was an exhibition at a minor-league game — but 445 feet, 10 inches is pretty remarkable.
More on baseball rabbit holes: This is also a good place to tell you that today is the 20th anniversary of the Baseball-Reference Bullpen, which is a treasure trove for rabbit-trail chasers like myself.
David O'Brien has more here, with quotes from Acuña, along with Braves manager Brian Snitker and pitcher Spencer Strider, who was on the mound when it happened.
Because the throw got to third base in the air, it got me wondering: What's the longest recorded throw in the Statcast area?
That was an easy answer: It was Ramón Laureáno's 321-foot throw in 2019 to double off Eric Young Jr. (This one was probably longer, but didn't get counted because it was thrown too far).
But the search also led me to a name I didn't recognize, and I can't rob you of this arcane bit of information: The world record for longest baseball throw apparently belongs to a man named Glen Gorbous, who played just 117 big-league games for the Reds and Phillies in the 1950s.
Gorbous' throw didn't happen in a game — it was an exhibition at a minor-league game — but 445 feet, 10 inches is pretty remarkable.
More on baseball rabbit holes: This is also a good place to tell you that today is the 20th anniversary of the Baseball-Reference Bullpen, which is a treasure trove for rabbit-trail chasers like myself.