Reds' bargain for Eugenio Suarez creates a nightmare scenario for Astros trade hopes

The Cincinnati Reds just landed one of the best bargains of the offseason after reuniting with third baseman Eugenio Suárez on a one-year, $15 million deal with a mutual option for 2027. Before the offseason began, MLB Trade Rumors had Suárez ticketed for a three-year, $63 million deal. ESPN had a more moderate appraisal of Suárez, but still predicted a $22.5 million AAV over two years.

Houston Astros fans probably saw those contract details over the weekend and didn't think much of it. But whenever something like this happens, it has a reverberating effect throughout the league. Opposing GMs are going to see the number Suárez got and think to themselves, "How can I get a bargain like that?"

While Suárez's deal with the Reds doesn't directly impact the Astros, it'll make trading Christian Walker all the more difficult. Astros GM Dana Brown has been attempting to offload Walker (and his $40 million salary) all winter, but the price tag just dipped significantly thanks to Cincinnati's thrifty acquisition.

Reds bargain for Eugenio Suárez just made the Astros top offseason task even more difficult

Walker and Suárez offer similar (but different) profiles. Both are right-handed sluggers in their mid-30s who play the corner infield. But while Suárez is signed for just one season, Walker's deal comes with an extra year and another $20 million.

Furthermore, in order to dump Walker, the Astros will either have to eat the majority of his salary or package a top prospect in any sort of deal that would help get his money off the books. Either way, it's not an ideal situation.

In addition, there are a number of other players who are still on the free agent market, like Rhys Hoskins, Miguel Andujar, and Paul Goldschmidt, who could fill that same Walker can. Thanks to Suárez's below-market deal, those aforementioned players will also have to accept a contract lower than they'd hoped when the winter began.

All of this to say, Walker was never an ideal trade candidate before Suárez's deal with Cincinnati, and the likelihood he'll be dealt now becomes even more complicated. The Astros would love to get his salary off the books in 2026 and 2027, but it's looking more and more like he'll be headed for West Palm Beach, Florida, in a couple of weeks.