The Arizona Diamondbacks‘ game of chicken while trading star third baseman Eugenio Suárez may have backfired.
Suárez was hit by a pitch on his right hand by a fastball from relief pitcher Will Vest in Arizona’s 5-1 loss to Detroit Tigers on Monday night.
Suárez was deemed the best-available hitter on the trade market by multiple news outlets, yet Arizona is still hanging onto him despite reports it intends to sell before Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline.
Suárez is tied for second in the National League, and tied for fourth in the majors, in home runs (36). He ranks ninth in MLB in OPS (.898).
What Happened To Eugenio Suárez ?
Trailing by four runs in the top of the ninth, Suarez was struck on the finger by a 95.6mph fastball from Vest. He left the game and was taken for X-rays, which were negative, which is a huge relief for Arizona’s potential trade chances.
“The good news is that the X-rays were negative, but it still obviously hurt,” said Suárez according to the Associated Press. “There are more tests scheduled for [Tuesday], and we will go from there. I’ll come back as quickly as I can.”
The AP reported Suárez was not bending his finger as a result of being hit. But Suárez does not expect to play in Arizona’s second game in Detroit on Tuesday.
“I don’t think there was any intent there,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said, according to the AP. “He’s one of the most impressive hitters in MLB, and you don’t want to take those type of players off the field.
“He’s very tough, and he never even winces. When he reacts like that, you know it isn’t good.”
Can The D-Backs Still Trade Eugenio Suárez?
The D-Backs dodged a huge bullet with Suárez’s X-ray results, since a broken finger could have put him on the injured list, potentially for the rest of the regular season.
Still, the injury is terribly timed for the D-Backs but could be even worse for the litany of teams in line to try and acquire the All-Star third baseman.
Arizona has dropped three straight and has already started selling since it traded outfielder Randal Grichuk to the Kansas City Royals over the weekend. The D-Backs are 51-56 and are seven games behind the National League West-rival San Diego Padres for the third and final NL wild-card spot.
Suárez is in the final season of a seven-year, $66 million deal he signed with the Cincinnati Reds before the 2018 season. He expects to be the D-Backs’ most valuable commodity, due to his expiring contract, outstanding year at the plate and the robust number of teams in the market for upgrades at third base.
The Seattle Mariners, one of Suárez’s former teams, and New York Mets have been linked to Suárez, as well as at least a handful of other clubs. The New York Yankees had previously been tied to Suárez before they pivoted and acquired Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday.
So Arizona should be able to trade him by Thursday, even if he may not be able to play right away.
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