WEST SACRAMENTO -- The “Good Vibes Only” reunion in Seattle is happening.
The Mariners on Thursday finalized a blockbuster deal with the D-backs to acquire slugging third baseman Eugenio Suárez, the clubhouse and fan favorite in Seattle from 2022-23.
First baseman Tyler Locklear, Seattle's No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- who was called up Wednesday but did not play in the Mariners’ 5-4 loss to the A’s -- along with right-handed Minor League relievers Hunter Cranton (No. 16) and Juan Burgos (No. 17) are going back to Arizona in the deal.
TRADE DETAILS
Mariners receive: 3B Eugenio Suárez
D-backs receive: 1B Tyler Locklear (Mariners’ No. 9 prospect), RHP Hunter Cranton (No. 16), RHP Juan Burgos (No. 17)
Suárez was hit on the right hand by a 95.6 mph fastball Monday vs. the Tigers, but X-rays, a CT scan and MRI all came back clean. He returned to Arizona’s lineup on Wednesday, going 1-for-4 with a double.
Suárez, who was traded from Seattle to Arizona in November 2023, was the most coveted bat on the market leading up to the Deadline, thanks to a power display in his age-33 season that has him among the sport’s leaders in home runs (fifth with 36) and RBIs (tied with Cal Raleigh for first with 87).
The reunion has storybook-level potential in Seattle, where Suárez was an instrumental player that helped the Mariners snap a 20-year postseason drought in 2022 -- and will rejoin many teammates who remain on the 2025 club that has World Series aspirations.
"I feel so amazing,” said Raleigh, when specifically asked about October. “I felt good, even going into today -- but even better, now that Geno is here. That's no knock on any guys that are in the clubhouse right now. It's just how good Geno is."
Suárez is expected to join the Mariners when they return to T-Mobile Park on Thursday and open what’s all of a sudden a critical four-game series vs. the Rangers, who are tied with Seattle at 57-52 for the third and final American League Wild Card spot after a 9-3 surge out of the All-Star break.
The Diamondbacks touched down in Sacramento to begin a series vs. the A’s on Wednesday night, but Suárez did not join the Mariners’ charter back to Seattle, a source said.
“I think in some ways, for Geno, it’s coming home in a way,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said, “and that's kind of a nice touch, too. But again, we'll just wait and see how it all turns out.”
The trade for Suárez comes on the heels of the Mariners and Diamondbacks executing a deal last Thursday that sent first baseman Josh Naylor from Arizona to Seattle, who could wind up being the second-best bat moved ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. PT Deadline.
Originally acquired in a splashy Spring Training trade immediately after the 2022 lockout, Suárez was one of Seattle’s most impactful players during his two-year stint, with a combined 53 homers. But he was also one of the many players that the Mariners traded away in the 2023-24 offseason for cost-cutting purposes to reallocate payroll as they attempted to reimagine their offense.
“Real thrilled to bring the 'Good Vibes' back for sure,” said Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford, who will return to sharing the left side of the infield with Suárez. “He's a great guy and a better teammate.”
In 2025, Suárez has been on an otherworldly heater, winning a record-tying four NL Player of the Week honors, and he made history against Atlanta on April 26, when he became the 19th player to hit four home runs in a game. Suárez earned his second All-Star selection and has already secured the sixth 30-homer season of his career.
Between both additions, the Mariners boast what could become one of the AL’s most daunting lineups -- which, if their starting pitching can find more consistency, could catapult them to legitimate title contenders.
Suárez’s 36 homers the most by a player in a season prior to a midseason trade (previous high: Mark McGwire's 34 in 1997).
Raleigh, meanwhile, leads the league with 41, making the Mariners just the second team in history to enter August with at least two players that have at least 35, per STATS. The other? The 1961 Yankees, with Roger Maris (40) and Mickey Mantle (39).
However, the Mariners have been in an offensive skid, with an MLB-worst .615 OPS since the All-Star break.
“I think it’s just going to take some pressure off some guys,” Raleigh said. “Whether they admit it or not, maybe guys are trying to overcook things and when you try to overdo it, try to swing harder, usually that doesn’t help. Everybody usually wants to be the guy.”
Though his defensive metrics at the hot corner have declined this year (-6 outs above average), he was graded much more positively over the past two years, with +11 OAA in 2023 and +3 in ‘24.
And it’s hard to overstate the turnaround that Suárez has experienced over the past year. On June 26, 2024, Suárez was hitting just .193 and the Diamondbacks were contemplating designating him for assignment.
From that point on, though, Suárez slashed .311/.359/.607 the rest of the way, nearly carrying Arizona to the postseason. That prompted the Diamondbacks to exercise Suárez’s $15 million option for 2025, and he picked up right where he left off at the start of this season.
Throughout what’s been a trying season for a Diamondbacks club hoping to contend, Suárez has talked about his affection for Arizona. But a return to Seattle -- where he resonated so emphatically with teammates and fans -- will almost certainly be welcome.
“Part of my heart is in Seattle,” Suárez said at All-Star media day on July 14. “Anything can happen. I don't want to say that I don't want to get traded, because this is a business. You never know. It's something that's out of my control. Wherever I go, I'll do my best.”