Most of the reason that Eugenio Suarez was available to the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline was his contract.
He's in the last year of his deal, and so he was expendable for the out-of-contention Arizona Diamondbacks. That made him a popular target, and it was the Mariners who got the slugging third baseman to come their way.
But it has raised the question: What happens at the end of the year with Suarez?
Local radio station 93.3 FM asked Suarez if he wants to be back with the Mariners next year.
His answer: "Of course."
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That's encouraging for the Mariners.
Suarez was in Seattle in 2022 and 2023, and he clearly likes it there.
The big question will be how much money he deserves after a monster power-hitting season.
The contract website Spotrac projects Suarez to have a market value of two years and $24.5 million total value.
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It seems like if he keeps approaching 50 home runs, his salary will end up higher than that $12.25 annual projection.
Seattle may be more likely to bring back Suarez if he helps them go on a deep postseason run. It'd be tough to get rid of the new star if he is a playoff hero.
There's still time to figure that out, though.
For now, it's all about chasing a playoff spot and seeing if the Mariners can make noise in October.
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