The New York Yankees have been circling Eugenio Suárez like sharks all season, eyeing the Diamondbacks slugger as their perfect third base solution. With 36 home runs already under his belt, Suárez was everything the Yankees needed – power, experience, and that clutch gene that screams October baseball. But here’s the kicker: while the Bronx Bombers were busy overthinking defensive metrics and contract details, an NL rival has swooped in with what looks like a done deal. Want to take a guess who’s about to pull off the heist of the trade deadline?

Well, you know how these deadline stories go – there’s always that one team lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce when everyone else is busy playing chess. The Cincinnati Reds, of all teams, have emerged as the surprise frontrunner to land Suárez in what could be the most ironic trade twist of 2025. While the Yankees were reportedly concerned about his defensive shortcomings and hesitated on pulling the trigger, Cincinnati quietly positioned itself for a reunion that frankly makes too much sense to ignore.

According to The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans, there is interest from both sides on a potential deal to bring Suárez back to Cincinnati — the club he spent seven seasons with from 2015 to 2021. The Diamondbacks are now at a crossroads, weighing whether to cash in on Suárez’s career year or make one final playoff push with their veteran slugger. With less than two weeks until the trade deadline, Arizona’s front office is reportedly fielding multiple offers, but the mutual interest with Cincinnati has created the most momentum.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect for the Reds, who designated Jeimer Candelario for assignment just last month, eating the remaining portion of his $45 million contract. Tbh, it makes sense – why wouldn’t Cincinnati want back the guy who gave them some of their most memorable moments at the hot corner? Suárez’s 36 home runs have made him the most coveted trade candidate right now, and his price tag keeps climbing with each towering blast.

This whole situation feels like déjà vu for Yankees fans who’ve watched similar scenarios unfold before. Remember when they hesitated on Manny Machado at the 2018 deadline and he ended up with the Dodgers instead? The parallels are striking. The Reds are now paying Jeimer Candelario ($16 million) roughly the same money Suárez ($15 million) is making — and getting significantly less offensive output from the third base position. Cincinnati’s front office learned from its mistake of letting Suárez walk in the first place, and now they’re positioned to fix it while the Yankees are left wondering what might have been. And speaking of explosions, the Yankees might have just discovered their homegrown solution to the third base puzzle.

Spencer Jones Emerges as Yankees’ Wild Card

While the Yankees watch Suárez slip away to their NL rivals, Spencer Jones just delivered the kind of performance that makes general managers frantically check their phones. The Yankees’ towering prospect demolished Triple-A pitching Thursday, launching three home runs in five innings against Rochester and sending shockwaves through baseball’s rumor mill just as the trade deadline heats up.

The 6-foot-7 slugger started his fireworks show early, crushing an opposite-field solo shot in his second at-bat to put Scranton/Wilkes-Barre ahead 1-0. Two innings later, he did it again—another opposite-field bomb that cleared the left-field wall like it was batting practice. But Jones wasn’t finished. He capped off his power display with a towering two-run blast to dead center in the fifth, then made a spectacular sliding catch to rob Rochester of a run.

This most recent bomb pushes Jones’ Triple-A stats straight into video-game-zone territory: 13 homers in just 19 games since his promotion. The Yankees’ fourth-ranked prospect now has blasted 28 homers between two levels this season, hitting at an extremely nice .308 with a downright ridiculous 1.079 OPS.

With the trade deadline coming soon, Jones’ breakout performance creates an interesting crossroads. Missing out on Suárez might have been a blessing for the organization to have their product ready for the big league. Sometimes the best trades are the ones you never complete when talent comes up from inside.