Eugenio Suárez looks destined for Cubs after revealing ESPN insider moment

There was a collective scare across Major League Baseball on Monday night when Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez took a fastball off his right index finger. Suárez had X-rays completed after the game, and the results were negative, confirming there was no fracture for the veteran infielder. With the MLB trade deadline approaching, Suárez remains the top rental bat available, and the Chicago Cubs are near the top of the list of potential suitors.

ESPN insider Jeff Passan, in true Jeff Passan fashion, was responding to questions on Threads last night and revealed that Suárez to the Cubs may just be the outcome at the deadline.

"Cubs and Mariners are at the top of the list. I'd be surprised if he didn't end up in one of those spots. Phillies, Reds, Tigers to a much lesser extent. But it's the deadline. Weird things happen. Willingness to give up talent can change with other moves. This is the farthest thing from science."

ESPN insider may have spoiled the Cubs’ next trade deadline splash

As of today, with the deadline under 72 hours away, the Cubs and Mariners are the clear favorites for Suárez, as Passan sees it. Of course, as Passan reminded, things can change quickly ahead of the deadline, but for now, the Cubs appear to be on the inside track toward landing the All-Star third baseman.

While we're having our daily Suárez update, it feels like a good time to remind everyone that the deadline, for the Cubs, isn't a matter of adding the veteran third baseman or a starting pitcher. Given how top-heavy the Cubs' farm system is, there is a scenario where they land both Suárez and a starting pitcher ahead of Thursday's deadline.

In other words, freshly extended, Jed Hoyer can have his cake and eat it, too. Of course, with the Cubs aiming for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher and Suárez being the best rental bat available, that would mean Hoyer would be sacrificing an uncomfortable amount of prospects to push the chips to the middle of the table for the 2025 season. It's a level that Hoyer has been unwilling to reach in past seasons; however, every rule needs an exception. This could be one of those seasons.

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