NY Mets: 3 third base trade candidates to consider, 2 to avoid this winter

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres smiles as he comes off the field during a 11-9 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 29, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres smiles as he comes off the field during a 11-9 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 29, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (7) winces as he reenacts a pop fly play that ended to second inning to the Pirates dugout in the top fo the third inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. The Reds led 8-1 in the top of the sixth inning.Pittsburgh Pirates At Cincinnati Reds

Eugenio Suarez is not a good fit for the Mets

Eugenio Suarez has the same flaws as Chapman to a greater extreme. Not as great of a defender, Suarez’s rollercoaster career has been in a massive drop the last two years.

Suarez began to show his prowess with the Cincinnati Reds back in 2016 when he hit 21 home runs and drove in 70. His home run totals steadily increased. He hit 26, 34, and finally 49 in 2019. With the increase in home runs, so came many more strikeouts. He fanned a league-leading 189 times back in 2019. However, with 49 home runs and a .271/.358/.572 slash line, I’d accept it.

This hasn’t been the same situation with him since 2020. In that shortened season, Suarez hit .202/.312/.470 with 15 home runs in 57 games. He followed it up with a .198/.286/.428 slash line this past year with 31 home runs in 145 games.

The power is still there. Nobody can argue that. But with a Mendoza Line batting average, it feels like a lot of frustrating could be coming the Mets’ way if he was to end up in New York.

Signed through 2025 with a buyout in the final year, Suarez is a guy you only trade for if you have the utmost belief in him. I don’t. The Mets should steer way clear.

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