Diamondbacks add power-hitting third baseman in trade

The 32-year-old Suarez finished 2023 with a .232/.323/.391 slash line with 22 home runs and 96 RBI while being one of only four players to not miss a single game during the season. 

With four seasons of 30-plus home runs since 2018, he has been among baseball's more consistent power hitters during that time and will be a welcome addition to the D-backs lineup. 

While prone to the strikeout, Suarez will have plenty of protection in the D-backs lineup and should see plenty of good pitches when he is at the plate.

After using veteran third baseman Evan Longoria and journeyman third baseman Emmanuel Rivera for a majority of the time at the hot corner, Suarez gives them a player Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo can march out there every game if needed.

In his 10-year career, Suarez has posted a slash line of .248/.332/.456 with 246 home runs and 730 RBI with one All-Star appearance in 2018.

Vargas is a 24-year-old pitcher who appeared in his first major league action in 2023, with 4.2 innings pitched, a 5.79 ERA and seven strikeouts.

Zavala is a 30-year-old backup catcher who just wrapped up his fourth season in the MLB, he finished 2023 slashing .171/.230/.314 with seven home runs and 18 RBI in 73 games played for the Chicago White Sox and Diamondbacks.

For Seattle, this trade can only be seen as a salary dump based on the return and should signal more moves on the horizon. 

With hopes of making a play for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani looking slimmer by the day, the Mariners will have to be creative if they hope to improve on a team that narrowly missed out on a playoff appearance in 2023.

With the offseason just getting started, look for both of these clubs to be very active on the market as they try to keep up with the competition they will face during the 2024 season.