Chicago Cubs emerging as favorites to land slugger Eugenio Suarez?

The Chicago Cubs may be the favorites to land Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suarez, just by process of elimination.

On Friday, the New York Yankees, who were said to be among the favorites to land the All-Star third baseman in a trade deadline deal, acquired Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, instead.

It was a surprising, but not altogether shocking deal from the Yankees, who “settled” for the secondary hot corner prize less than a week before the July 31 deadline for MLB trading.

On Thursday, the Seattle Mariners, who have also been in the mix for Suarez, acquired Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor. The belief among many was that the Mariners were after Suarez or Naylor from Arizona.

Chicago Cubs, front runners for Eugenio Suarez?

Those turns of events, at least in theory, would now leave the Cubs as the favorites to acquire Suarez.

But, hold your horses.

MLB insider Jon Heyman still lists the Mariners, along with the Cubs, as the favorites to acquire power hitting third baseman.

“I’m gonna guess the Mariners or the Cubs,” Heyman said via Twitter/X, responding to the question of where Suarez will go. “Those two teams have been in all along…I think both teams have prospects to get it done. So, I think one of those two is probably most likely.”

It’s absolutely not outside the realm of possibility for the Mariners to double back and cut another deal with Arizona for their former third baseman.

Heyman, meanwhile, also asserts that the pursuit of Suarez is not entirely a two-team competition.

“The Reds, Tigers, Phillies, Astros, Brewers– I’m gonna throw them all in the mix as potential fits,” Heyman added.

Drifting from Suarez?

Recent talk actually has the Cubs drifting away from a Suarez deal, as Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has made pitching a deadline priority and may want to preserve prospect trade capital for that pursuit.

“I don’t think they’re going to hit the home run at third base,” ESPN MLB insider Jesse Rogers recently said when asked about the possibility of landing the coveted slugger. “…replacing the number 9 hitter [isn’t a priority]. They are much more focused on starting pitching.”

If the competition for free agency-bound Suarez is still hot and heavy, Chicago may bow out rather than overpay for a rental player. That decision may have become easier since rookie third baseman Matt Shaw started hitting, logging a .500 batting average with 3 home runs and 6 RBIs since the All-Star break.

But…

Still, the idea of adding an elite right-handed power bat to the already-potent Cubs lineup has to be very tempting. It would give the Cubs a virtual murderer’s row headed into the final two months of the season and into the playoffs.

And don’t discount the drive to snatch Suarez up before the rival Milwaukee Brewers, who’ve overtaken the Cubs in the NL Central Division, can pick him up.

When it comes to the Cubs trading for Suarez, the general feeling among insiders and analysts seems to be that such a deal is possible, but increasingly unlikely as Hoyer and the front office work to add pitching to a faltering rotation and bullpen.

It can’t be denied, though, that without the free-spending, free-trading Yankees in the picture, the likelihood of Suarez to the Cubs has increased.

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