It was July 31.
The Seattle Mariners acquired slugger Eugenio Suárez — a two-time All-Star third baseman — from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the 2025 trade deadline, boosting an already-powerful offense. To be clear, the Mariners didn’t give up any top-100 prospects.
The Detroit Tigers could’ve had Suárez.
Sixty-eight days later, Suárez blasted a solo home run for the Mariners against the Tigers in Game 3 of the ALDS on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Comerica Park. After an 8-4 loss, the Tigers are on the brink of elimination from the MLB playoffs in the best-of-five series as their offense continues to struggle.
“It feels great to do something here in Detroit, where everything started,” Suárez said after Tuesday’s game. “At the time, I just thought about my team and what we’ve been doing in this postseason. I’m trying to help my team win games.”
Here’s the dagger: Suárez wanted to join the Tigers at the trade deadline, in part because feels a deep personal connection to Detroit. He made his MLB debut for the Tigers in 2014 after the Tigers signed him as a teenager out of Venezuela in 2008.
Another stab: Gleyber Torres, who works as the Tigers’ everyday second baseman, wanted the Tigers to acquire Suárez at the trade deadline, describing his fellow Venezuelan as “a better person than player” and emphasizing he “would be a really, really good addition for us.”
One more: Zach McKinstry — the third baseman the Tigers bet on instead of trading for Suárez — has one hit in 24 plate appearances during the postseason. He also posted a .656 OPS in his final 56 games after the All-Star break.
“We’re one step closer to going to the championship,” Suárez said of the Mariners, who need one more win to advance to the ALCS. “The job isn’t done yet. We’ve got to continue to play like this. We came here to win games and keep going forward. The Seattle Mariners deserve where we’re at right now, and the fans as well.”
Why didn’t the Tigers acquire Suárez at the trade deadline?
It would’ve been a flashy move.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris — who fell short in his offseason attempt to sign three-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency — wasn’t interested in flashy moves after studying the results of the previous 10 trade deadlines.
Harris took a conservative approach, prioritizing quantity over quality and preserving the prospects.
“A lot of the moves that we passed on felt like moves that were going to haunt us for many years to come,” Harris said July 31 after the trade deadline. “We have what we think is one of the best, if not the best, farm system in all of baseball.”
Instead of Suárez, Harris acquired these five MLB players, all pitchers: starters Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack and relievers Kyle Finnegan, Rafael Montero and Paul Sewald.
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Everyone is healthy, but only Finnegan and Montero are active on the ALDS roster.
It was a failed trade deadline.
As for their ALDS opponent, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto explained why the Mariners acquired Suárez from the Diamondbacks (and first baseman Josh Naylor from the Cleveland Guardians).
“I believe that adding to this team, adding some energy to the room and just showing the guys that we believe in what we’re doing was important,” Dipoto told reporters July 31 after the trade deadline. “And I think the response has been great.”
Before Game 3 of the ALDS, the Tigers sent franchise icon Miguel Cabrera — the greatest Venezuelan baseball player of all time — to the mound to throw the ceremonial first pitch.
Cabrera and Suárez are friends.
“I got a call this morning, and that call was from Miggy,” said Suárez, who played alongside Cabrera in 2014 with the Tigers. “He is a superhero here in Detroit. I felt good when I saw Miggy throw the first pitch tonight.”
Less than 90 minutes later, Suárez gave the Mariners a 3-0 lead with a solo home run off right-hander Jack Flaherty in the fourth inning. He demolished a middle-middle fastball for a 422-foot home run to left-center field.
It’s easy to imagine him doing that in a Tigers uniform.
Instead, Suárez reminded the Tigers what they passed on at the trade deadline.
“I wasn’t really thinking about trying to do something here in Detroit,” said Suárez, who hit .228 with 49 home runs and an .824 OPS in 159 games throughout the regular season. “I came here with the same mentality I have every day — try to compete and help my team win the game.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers watch Eugenio Suárez hit home run after trade deadline
