The Pittsburgh Pirates could make another major roster move by signing one of their remaining top free agent strongmen.
Even though they’ve traded Brandon Lowe and signed Ryan O’Hearn , the Buccaneers are still looking for offensive upgrades. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic provides an update on their pursuit of third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
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Rosenthal said on Monday’s “Foul Territory” show that the Buccaneers are interested in Suarez. However, insiders believe the 34-year-old may want to join a clearer contender.
“If Eugenio Suarez could go to Boston — if he could go back to one of his old teams, Seattle or Arizona, that would probably be his preference,” Rosenthal said.
Suarez hit 36 of 49 home runs with the Diamondbacks, earning his second All-Star selection, and the Diamondbacks traded him to the Mariners at the July 31 deadline. The right-hander struggled in the game, hitting .189/.255/.428 with 79 strikeouts in 53 games.
While a prolonged slump portends some risk, Suarez remains a steady powerhouse, hitting 308 home runs over the past decade. The highly durable veteran has missed just seven games over the past three years and appeared in more than 570 games in each of his previous nine full seasons.
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The Pirates hit an MLB-low 117 homers last year, and Suarez tied the long ball totals of their three leaders (O’Neal Cruz 20, Bryan Reynolds 16, Andrew McCutchen 13). Their third baseman hit a combined 6 home runs and hit .222.
Suarez will bring a huge offensive boost to Pittsburgh at the hot corner spot, but the Buccaneers will likely face competition for him.
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