Is Eugenio Suarez a late-season fit for the rangers?

Per MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal, the Cincinatti Reds have placed third baseman/DH Eugenio Suarez on outright waivers. Teams will have 48 hours to claim Suarez before he returns to the Reds. The 35-year-old power-hitting veteran presents a certain appeal to contending teams. Could the Texas Rangers have interest?

What Suarez brings to the table

Suarez is what he has been for much of his career, a bat-first player that strikes out a lot and hit a lot of home runs. In other words, an “all or nothing” hitter.

Across 361 plate appearnces in 2026, he’s slashing .208/.295/.410 with a .705 OPS. He’s knocked 19 homers and fanned 143 times.

Cincinatti has not gotten the player they’d hoped for when signing Suarez to a 1-year, $15 million contract ahead of the season. Though, he is trending strong in August, hitting five homers and posting an .862 OPS.

The timing makes sense for the Reds. A player has to be on his team’s 40-man roster by August 31 to be considered eligible for the postseason. Placing Suarez on waivers on August 26th further incentivizes contending teams to act swiftly if they envision him a part of their postseason run.

Is Suarez a good fit for the Rangers?

Ranked 21st in MLB in slugging percentage, Texas could use another power bat. While they’ve hit their stride lately against left-handed pitchers with Justin Foscue and Jake Burger providing pop from the right side, they’ve struggled in the power department against right-handed pitchers.

Rangers righties have slugged just .393 against right-armed throwers in 2026. Suarez against righties this season has slugged .422 and has produced better against right than lefties, overall.

The Rangers have also struggled mightily with runners on base, hitting .211 with two outs and runners in scoring position and .212 with the bases loaded. Just last night, they stranded 12 baserunners and went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

Suarez could help in clutch situations given his ability to lift the ball. He’s driven in 100+ runs four times in his career and his 57 RBI this season would rank third on the Rangers. And lord knows the Rangers could use a few more round trippers with men on base.

Then there’s the question of where Eugenio Suarez would play. With Josh Jung still out and his return timeline blurry, third base would be available to Suarez. Ezeqial Duran has laregely manned the hot corner as of late, but we all know of his ability to play just about anywhere on the field.

If Suarez played third, Duran could play second base against right-handed pitchers and center field against lefties. He could play short when the Rangers want to give Corey Seager a partial day off as a DH.

Suarez could also DH, enabling a stronger defensive lineup. Joc Pederson and Logan O’Hoppe have split time at DH recently depending on matchups. Pederson will continue to DH against right-handers, but O’Hoppe’s situation is fluid given his limited time with the major league club.

First base is the final option, as Suarez has played first in small samples. Jake Burger has been the Rangers everyday first baseman, but they could try Suarez there periodacally if he’s swinging a hot bat and Burger a cold one.

Will the Rangers claim Eugenio Suarez?

First, Texas would have to avoid teams with a worse record than them claiming Suarez, as those teams would get prior dibs. If the Rangers were to claim him, they’d assume the remainder of his 2026 salary, which is reported to be a little less than $3 million.

Suarez’s contract does include a mutual option for 2027 at $16 million; however, the Rangers could simply refuse that option, making him a free agent.

The Rangers don’t like to spend frivilously, and they’ve been quite passive towards acquiring outside talent this season. They will likely only pursue Suarez if:

1. Josh Jung’s return keeps getting pushed back.
2. They truly believe Suarez can help propel a ho-hum offense to the postseason.

Claiming Suarez would be a gamble, as the Rangers can’t be certain they’ll get the best, or even decent, version of the 11-year vet. Just last year, the Seattle Mariners acquired Suarez at the trade deadline. Pre-trade, Suarez slashed .248/.320/.576. Post-trade, he slashed .189/.255/.428.

My hunch says the Rangers do not claim him. They’ve shown allegiance to their internal players all year long. If they’re going to make the postseason, they’re going to do it with the players they currently have. And Suarez brings too much risk of wasted money and a wasted roster spot.