On the afternoon of February 1, the Boston Red Sox traded Jordan Hicks and top pitching prospect David Sandlin — who held a 40-man roster spot — to the Chicago White Sox. The move freed up roster space and money so Boston could make its final offseason additions.
One of those additions will not be infielder Eugenio Suárez. The veteran third baseman signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds, first reported by MLB insider Jeff Passan. The deal also contains a mutual option for another year at $16 million, per insider Jon Heyman.
Suárez played seven seasons with the Reds from 2015-21 and many Cincinnati fans were eager for this reunion. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners were also popular predictions for Suárez's next team, but Boston was considered the ideal fit by a fair few experts. The Red Sox had been linked to Suárez for much of the offseason as a backup plan for Alex Bregman's unexpected departure.
Suárez suited the Red Sox well as a veteran third baseman with home run power, which they sacrificed last year in the Rafael Devers trade and by letting Bregman walk. He batted .228/.298/.526 with an .824 OPS and collected a career-high 49 home runs and 118 RBI in 2025.
Reds sign Eugenio Suárez, further eliminating Red Sox infield candidates as spring training nears
In recent weeks, multiple reports have stated that Boston will prioritize defensive skill when considering its final infield additions. Suárez doesn't match up in that category, at least not last season — he posted six outs below average with ninth percentile range, but fared much better in 2023-24 with 11 and three OAA, respectively.
Suárez will primarily be the designated hitter in the Reds' lineup, which shows that other teams are also wary of his defensive output. The Red Sox like to keep their DH spot flexible to switch up their lineup, and they've already said that Willson Contreras will get some reps there. If Masataka Yoshida is on the roster come Opening Day, he'll need to get some work in the DH slot, as well.
Suárez's signing leaves the infield free agent market quite barren (at least, for the level of talent Boston needs). Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jose Iglesias are still available, but they're underwhelming additions when Bregman and Devers formerly held an infield spot with the Red Sox. Boston has reportedly spoken with the Chicago Cubs about trading for Nico Hoerner or Matt Shaw, and they could be its last hope of really improving the infield this winter.