The Boston Red Sox drew criticism for not making a stronger push to bring Alex Bregman back, but now that he has signed elsewhere, a new report suggests the club may be preparing to show more serious interest in Eugenio Suarez, who played a key role for the Seattle Mariners last season.
“According to a source with knowledge of Suarez’s market, the Red Sox have indicated they ‘like’ Suarez, and there’s an expectation that he will soon find out whether or not they plan on being serious bidders,” Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam wrote in a MassLive report.
Suarez appeared in 159 games last season between Arizona and Seattle and posted a .298 batting average, making him an appealing option not only for the Red Sox, but also for other teams that pursued Bregman and ultimately lost out to the Cubs.
Suarez isn’t the Red Sox’s only option
While Cotillo and McAdam report that Boston remains in a holding pattern as it weighs how aggressively to pursue Suarez, he is far from the only player on the club’s radar. Another potential option is an Astros infielder, who hit .254 last season with 96 hits, 20 home runs and 53 RBIs.
“Some trade possibilities remain, including Houston’s Isaac Paredes, who would offer better bat-to-ball skills, but little in the way of power, as reflected by his meager .429 career slugging percentage. A player like Paredes wouldn’t qualify as much of a needle-mover in the lineup, but could still be a contributor, especially given his positional versatility,” Cotillo and McAdam wrote.
Suarez’s market value is also far more manageable for Boston than what Bregman commanded. Spotrac projects the Venezuelan slugger at roughly $15 million per year on a two-year deal, a figure that would make him a relatively affordable option for the Red Sox.