Eugenio Suarez: Cincinnati Reds place Eugenio Suárez on outright waivers
The Cincinnati Reds placed eugenio suarez on outright waivers along with outfielder TJ Friedl, according to reports citing Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The move does not yet mean Suárez has left Cincinnati: another team has 48 hours to claim him, and the reports available do not establish whether a claim was made.
Cincinnati Reds place Eugenio Suárez on outright waivers
The Reds’ waiver move makes Suárez available to the other 29 MLB teams, which could claim him by taking on the remaining portion of his contract. He has not been designated for assignment and remains eligible to play for Cincinnati while the waiver process continues, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
Suárez signed a one-year, $15 million contract with Cincinnati before the 2026 season. He is owed slightly less than $3 million for the remainder of the year, according to The Athletic’s report published by The New York Times and Bleacher Report.
The contract also includes a $16 million mutual option for 2027. MLB Trade Rumors reported that Suárez is expected to become a free agent after the season, with the 2027 option unlikely to be exercised.
Why Cincinnati made the move
The reports describe the waiver placement as an effort to reduce payroll during the final month of a disappointing season. The Reds entered 2026 expecting to contend, but The New York Times reported that the club had fallen to last place in the National League Central after going 43-59 following May 1.
Suárez’s production has also fallen short of the expectations attached to his signing. The available reports list slightly different totals depending on when they were published, but they consistently describe a season below his recent power standards. MLB Trade Rumors listed him at a .208/.295/.410 batting line with 19 home runs through 410 plate appearances, while Bleacher Report listed .205/.294/.402 with 18 homers and 53 RBIs in 102 games.
He also missed nearly a month with an oblique strain early in the season. That performance contrasts with his 2025 campaign, when he hit 49 home runs, according to Bleacher Report.
The grand slam and what happens next
Suárez hit a grand slam during Cincinnati’s 10-9 comeback win over the San Francisco Giants. MLB Trade Rumors described it as part of a six-run ninth-inning comeback, while The New York Times described a seven-run ninth-inning rally.
The reports do not establish a single sequence between that game and the waiver decision. Bleacher Report said the waiver news came on the same day as the grand slam, while MLB Trade Rumors reported that both players were placed on waivers Tuesday and appeared in the Wednesday game. The timing of the decision relative to Suárez’s home run therefore remains unclear.
The waiver period was expected to run for 48 hours. If another club claims Suárez, that team would assume the remaining salary and Cincinnati would lose him. If he clears waivers, the Reds can keep him for the rest of the season or later designate him for assignment, according to MLB Trade Rumors. As of the latest available reporting, his final status had not been reported.