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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Mariners believe they can win the World Series
The post Why Mariners believe they can win the World Series appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Seattle Mariners are swinging big — again. And this time, it's not just about getting to October. It's about going all the way. After reuniting with slugger Eugenio Suárez in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Mariners have made it crystal clear: they believe they can win the World Series in 2025. Per MLB insider Jon Morosi, Seattle's internal confidence is sky-high. With starters Logan Gilbert and George Kirby returning to full health, the AL MVP frontrunner Cal Raleigh leading the offense, and new additions like Josh Naylor and now Suárez, the Mariners feel the path to an American League crown is wide open. 'We're excited to bring Geno back into the clubhouse,' Mariners GM Justin Hollander said. 'He's a proven bat with big-game experience and someone our guys already know and respect.' Mariners looking to make a postseason push after huge deadline acquisitions Suárez, who played in Seattle from 2022–23, rejoins a reshaped lineup that suddenly looks like one of the league's most dangerous. The 34-year-old third baseman is enjoying a monster season, hitting .248 with 36 home runs and a National League-leading 87 RBIs. He now teams up with Raleigh — who also has 41 homers — as Seattle becomes just the second team in MLB history to feature two 50-homer threats in the same lineup, should the duo keep pace. The deal cost Seattle three prospects, including big-league-ready first baseman Tyler Locklear, but the price was more than worth it for a franchise chasing its first-ever World Series title. Suárez is only under contract through the end of the season, but the short-term impact could be massive. He provides a significant upgrade over rookie Ben Williamson, who had been holding down the hot corner with a solid glove but little offensive production. Beyond Suárez, Seattle has quietly addressed other needs. The club added left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Pirates to bolster a bullpen that already features Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash, and Gabe Speier. Ferguson has held lefties to a .167 average this season and brings valuable postseason experience to the table. The Mariners, 57-52, are currently tied with the Texas Rangers for the final AL Wild Card spot and sit five games behind the division-leading Houston Astros. But the mood in the clubhouse is anything but discouraged. With a deep rotation (Luis Castillo, Gilbert, Kirby, Bryan Woo), a lights-out bullpen, and a now-balanced offense that includes Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena, and Jorge Polanco alongside the big bats, Seattle is betting on talent and chemistry. 'Suárez isn't just a slugger — he's a leader,' Morosi noted. 'That kind of clubhouse presence matters in October.' For a team that hasn't been shy about its championship aspirations, the trade deadline moves were bold, calculated, and just aggressive enough to make the rest of the league take notice. The road won't be easy. But for the Mariners, the belief is real — and now, so is the firepower. Related: Eugenio Suarez trade breaks 28-year-old Mark McGwire record Related: Cal Raleigh's 'amazing' reaction to Eugenio Suarez trade
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cubs Remain Active in Third-Base Market Amid Matt Shaw's Recent Resurgence
Cubs Remain Active in Third-Base Market Amid Matt Shaw's Recent Resurgence originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After a slow start to his big-league career, Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw is gradually getting into the swing of things. Shaw is in the midst of a four-game hitting streak, during which he is a combined 6-11 at the plate with two home runs and four RBIs, and has seen his batting average jump back above .200. Despite this string of positive performances, though, the Cubs have not deviated from their plans to address the third base position ahead of the trade deadline, manager Craig Counsell said. "I don't think any evaluation is ever made on two days," Counsell said, via The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma. Shaw, who has served as the Cubs' everyday starter at the hot corner for most of the 2025 season, has put up subpar numbers in his first 67 MLB games. Across 218 at-bats, he is credited with just four home runs, 19 RBIs, and a .216/.288/.321 slash line. The lack of production the Cubs have gotten from Shaw and others who have split time at third base has made the position an area for improvement before July 31. "Though Shaw has emerged as a solid defender, he's accumulated 170-plus plate appearances since being recalled from Iowa in late May without gaining much traction," Mooney and Sharma wrote. "Chicago's third basemen rank at the bottom of the majors in too many offensive categories. Ever since spring training, when free agent Alex Bregman decided to sign with the Red Sox, this area has been an obvious concern." Should the Cubs decide to trade for a third baseman, they could find a potential suitor in Eugenio Suárez, a slugger who represented the Arizona Diamondbacks in the All-Star Game last week. Suárez's strong offensive contributions thus far in the 2025 season – his National League-leading 36 home runs and 86 RBIs, in addition to a .933 OPS – would immediately inject power into a lineup that already includes the likes of Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker, and Seiya Suzuki. The Diamondbacks, however, may wait to see if they remain in the playoff picture a week and a half from now before deciding whether to move Suárez and other valuable trade chips on their roster. "It's no secret that the Cubs are looking at Suárez as a potential upgrade at third base," Mooney and Sharma wrote. "The Diamondbacks, though, have signaled that they are prepared to wait until next week before making their buy-or-sell decision. Arizona coming out of the All-Star break and sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals to get back to .500 is an indication that the Cubs may have to consider Suárez alternatives." It remains to be seen whether such a deal between the Cubs and Diamondbacks will get made, but Mooney and Sharma noted that the positive relationship that exists between Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen – dating back to their time in the Boston Red Sox's front office – is another factor that could get the trade across the finish line. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Diamondbacks get major Eugenio Suarez injury update as MLB trade deadline looms
It seems Eugenio Suarez avoided the worst. Tests on the Diamondbacks third baseman's right index finger came back negative after he was hit with a 96 mph fastball from Tigers reliever Will Vest on Monday. Advertisement Suarez was out of Arizona's lineup Tuesday, but The Post's Jon Heyman reported that it 'sounds like he's day to day' with the injury. The news is a breath of fresh air for the Diamondbacks, who are exploring moving Suarez, one of the top bats on the market, ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Heyman reported last week that the Phillies, Mariners, Cubs, Reds, Astros, Tigers and Brewers were potential fits for the two-time All-Star. The Yankees were considered a potential destination for Suarez before they acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Rockies. Advertisement Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) hits a single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at PNC Park on July 26. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Suarez has been one of the top sluggers in baseball over the past half-decade, smashing 150 home runs since 2021, which are the eighth-most among all hitters over that period. This season, Suarez is hitting .247 with 36 home runs with a National League-leading 87 RBIs. Advertisement His 143 OPS+ is the highest mark of his 12-year career. Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez (28) holds out his hand for the team trainer to examine after being hit on that hand by a pitch from Detroit Tigers closer Will Vest (not pictured) in the ninth inning at Comerica Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The 34-year-old made his MLB debut in 2014 with the Tigers before spending seven seasons in Cincinnati with the Reds. He played for the Mariners in 2022 and 2023 before getting dealt to Arizona in November 2023. Advertisement Suarez is set to become a free agent this winter.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Slugger Eugenio Suárez interested in Detroit Tigers return as trade deadline approaches
ATLANTA — The Arizona Diamondbacks are expected to be sellers at the July 31 trade deadline, which means two-time All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez is likely to be on the move. Suárez, an impending free agent, entered the second half of the 2025 season hitting .250 with 31 home runs and a National League-leading 78 RBIs through 95 games, with an .889 OPS. In late April, he became the 19th player in MLB history to hit four homers in a game. The 34-year-old has been one of the best right-handed sluggers in the 2025 season. And he already knows where he wants to play. The Detroit Tigers. "To finish where everything started, it would be cool," Suárez said Monday, July 14, just one day before participating in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. "It would mean a lot to me." WHAT HAPPENED: No positives from Tigers in All-Star Game as AL loses Home Run Derby tiebreaker Nearly 17 years ago, the Tigers signed Suárez out of Venezuela for a $10,000 bonus during the 2008 international signing period. He climbed through the minor leagues — from the Venezuelan Summer League to Triple-A Toledo — before making his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2014. That debut came June 4, 2014, against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park. He appeared in 85 games that season, hitting .242 with four home runs. On Dec. 11, 2014, the Tigers traded Suárez (and pitching prospect Jonathon Crawford) to the Cincinnati Reds for right-hander Alfredo Simón. "Since I was there, it's been a lot different," Suárez said, comparing the Tigers of the 2010s to the 2025 Tigers. "It's a new team with a lot of young guys and a lot of talent. I think they have a really good chance to make it more than the playoffs this year." ABS TO MLB? Tarik Skubal shares opinion on ABS challenge system after using it in All-Star Game Coming out of the All-Star break, the Tigers hold a 59-38 record and an 11½-game lead in the American League Central, but they could use upgrades: a swing-and-miss reliever (or two) and a right-handed hitting third baseman. Suárez thinks the Tigers can win the World Series in 2025. He is still searching for his first championship after losing in the 2014 ALDS with the Tigers, the 2020 NL wild card with the Reds and the 2022 ALDS with the Seattle Mariners. "They got, for me, the best pitcher in the league right now: Tarik Skubal," Suárez said. "They got a bunch of good players. I think they really have a chance to win it all this year." [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] For the Tigers, utility man Zach McKinstry — who replaced Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña in the All-Star Game — serves as the primary third baseman, though he has played six positions this season, including more than 200 innings in the outfield. McKinstry is a candidate for regression in the final two-plus months: he hit .285 with an .836 OPS in his first 88 games after entering 2025 with a .220 batting average and a .643 OPS over the first 387 games of his career. It makes sense for the Tigers to pursue Suárez at the July 31 trade deadline. "We never know," said Suárez, a .249 hitter with a .794 OPS in his 12-year MLB career, spanning 1,566 games. "Baseball is baseball. I might be finishing where everything started. It doesn't sound crazy. We'll see." If Suárez lands elsewhere at the trade deadline — with the Mariners, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees among the potential suitors — the Tigers would still have another opportunity to acquire him in free agency this offseason. He is "definitely" interested in joining the Tigers. "All 30 teams are going to be on the list," Suárez said, "and Detroit is going to be one of those." Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Eugenio Suárez interested in Detroit Tigers return at 2025 trade deadline
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Eugenio Suarez leaves game after getting hit by pitch on hand in potential MLB trade blow
One of the hottest names on the trade market is now dealing with an injury scare. Diamondbacks All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suarez left Monday's game against the Tigers after he was hit in the hand in the ninth inning by Detroit reliever Will Vest at Comerica Park. The Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suarez after getting hit by a pitch in the ninth inning of Monday's game. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez (28) holds out his hand for the team trainer to examine after being hit on that hand by a pitch from Detroit Tigers closer Will Vest (not pictured) in the ninth inning at Comerica Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Suarez is hitting .247 this season with 36 home runs and a National League-leading 87 RBIs. On July 25, The Post's Jon Heyman reported that the Phillies, Mariners, Cubs, Reds, Astros, Tigers and Brewers were potential fits for Suarez, and the Yankees were widely considered a potential destination before they traded to acquire third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Rockies. The Tigers won the game 5-1.
