Reds Welcome Back Suárez in $15M Homecoming Deal

Sometimes the best career move isn't about the biggest paycheck. It's about coming home.

Eugenio Suárez signed a $15 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds this week, choosing his former team over the Pittsburgh Pirates despite their higher offer. The 34-year-old All-Star wanted to return to the city where his daughter was born and part of his family still lives.

"When you put everything together, it made it easy for me to be back home," Suárez said. "My wife and I made a good decision to be back here."

The reunion required sacrifice on both sides. The Reds had already hit their projected $112 million payroll ceiling after trading away salary last month. Team president Nick Krall went to ownership asking permission to exceed the budget for someone special.

They approved it immediately. "He's a great clubhouse guy," Krall said. "He's just a tremendous individual and it's something we weren't sure we would be able to do."

Suárez first joined Cincinnati in 2014 as a shortstop, then moved to third base and became a star. He smashed 189 home runs in seven seasons with the Reds and signed a seven-year extension before becoming an All-Star in 2018.

The team traded him away in 2022 during a rebuild. Suárez was tearful when he left, telling reporters he hoped to end his career in Cincinnati someday.

Why This Inspires

Five years felt like forever when Suárez left Cincinnati. He told reporters then that he might retire as a Red, but it seemed like wishful thinking from a heartbroken player saying goodbye.

Last season, Suárez proved he still had plenty left in the tank. He matched his career high with 49 home runs and drove in 118 runs while playing for Arizona and Seattle. Other teams noticed, including Pittsburgh with their bigger offer.

But Suárez remembered what mattered most. He remembered his family's roots in Cincinnati and the fans who cheered for him. He remembered saying he might come back someday.

The Reds remembered too. They're building toward the playoffs after winning 83 games last season, and they needed Suárez's power to protect young star Elly De La Cruz in the lineup. The team hasn't had a 30-home run hitter since Suárez left.

Now he's back to help the next generation. "Whatever he needs from me, I will help him," Suárez said of De La Cruz. "I know how good he is."

God's timing is perfect, Suárez said, and sometimes the baseball gods agree.