The New York Yankees have flexed a ton of power to start the 2025 season, blasting an American League-leading 26 home runs through the first 12 games of the season. They are seemingly getting big contributions from nearly everybody in the lineup, one that still is without Giancarlo Stanton.
The Yankees could pursue Eugenio Suarez
However, they still have a hole at third base with Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza getting the majority of the reps there to begin the season. They will likely need to add another right-handed infield bat to create more lineup balance, as it is currently too reliant on left-handed hitting.
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller suggested that the Yankees should pursue Arizona Diamondbacks slugger and veteran third baseman Eugenio Suarez as a trade target. He also listed Nolan Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals and Yandy Diaz from the Tampa Bay Rays as potential targets.
“This may well be an “Arenado or bust” situation, which is a bit what it felt like all winter, even though the Yankees were never one of the teams rumored to be seriously pursuing the Cardinals third baseman,” Miller wrote. “If not Arenado, Díaz is probably the next-best combination of “can play third base” and “should be available,” but we’ll see if he’s available to the Yankees.”
The Yankees were rumored to be interested in Arenado during the offseason, but they never truly made a strong pursuit for the 10-time Gold Glove Award winner. Of course, the two sides could always re-engage in a potential deal, but it is less likely given what transpired over the winter.
Suarez is a realistic target for the Yankees
Diaz and Suarez, meanwhile, seem like two more realistic options, especially Suarez. The Diamondbacks’ third baseman is in his 12th big league season and second with Arizona. The slugger boasts a ton of power from the right side and could be a big run producer for the Yankees’ lineup.
Last season, he blasted 30 home runs and drove in 101 RBIs, which was the first time since 2019 and the third time in his career that he drove in 100 or more runs. This season, he leads the National League with five homers but is batting just .156.
A major caveat with him is his high strikeout rate, as he led the American League in strikeouts in 2022 (196) and 2023 (214) with the Seattle Mariners, and led all of baseball in strikeouts with 189 in 2019 with the Cincinnati Reds, a year in which he hit a career-high 49 home runs.
Suarez could make a huge difference in the Yankees lineup
Despite the major swing-and-miss issue, he could still be a highly valuable asset for the middle of the Yankees’ lineup. New York needs a reliable right-handed bat at third base, and Suarez could be exactly that. He is also incredibly durable, playing in at least 143 games in every full season since 2016 (excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season).
The Yankees will likely be heavily in the market for key additions this season, and Suarez could be a big target to pursue if he becomes available for them.
