The pitching staff might be suspect, but the Cincinnati Reds have built a sneaky strong position player core in recent years. One member of that core is now locked up long-term.
On Friday, the Reds announced third baseman Eugenio Suarez has signed a seven-year contract extension with a club option for an eighth year. Financial terms of the deal were undisclosed, though it reportedly guarantees him $66 million.
Suarez terms $2M signing bonus $2.25M in first year then $7M, $9.25M, $10.5M, $11M, $11M, $11M then a club option for $15M with a $2M buyout. No PBs or escalators.
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) March 16, 2018
"We are very pleased to announce this extension," said GM Dick Williams in a statement. "Eugenio has emerged as a leader in the clubhouse and on the field. He has continued to improve his defense, his power and his ability to get on base as a result of his determined effort. He will play an important role in our resurgence."
The seven-year extension buys out three arbitration years and four free agent years with a club option for a fifth free agent year. Clearly, Suarez prioritized getting financial security now rather than maximizing his earning potential through arbitration and free agency. It's possible he decided to jump on an extension now given how the free agent market played out this winter.
Suarez, 26, broke out with a .260/.367/.461 (115 OPS+) batting line and 26 home runs in 156 games last season. The natural shortstop is, unsurprisingly, a standout defender at the hot corner. Between the offense and defense, Suarez was a +3.7 WAR player in 2017. He's about to enter what should be the best years of his career, and the Reds wanted to make sure he has those years in their uniform.
With Suarez locked up, the Reds will soon have to figure out how he and top prospect Nick Senzel fit into the same lineup. Senzel is one of the best prospects in the game -- MLB.com ranks him as the 7th best prospect in baseball -- and he himself is a third baseman. The expectation is Senzel will make his big league debut at some point this summer. Here is part of MLB.com's scouting report:
Senzel uses a combination of strength, bat speed and an advanced approach at the plate to be an extremely dangerous hitter from the right side of the plate. He makes consistent hard contact, doesn't strike out a lot and draws walks, which points to a future of hitting over .300 and perhaps competing for batting titles ... There isn't much more for Senzel to prove at the Minor League level, with the prevailing thought he could compete in the big leagues in the very near future.
The Reds have had Senzel play some shortstop this spring, though it is not his natural position, and it remains to be seen whether he can handle it on an everyday basis. Would Cincinnati move Suarez back to shortstop? It's possible, though they may not want to change anything after the season he just had.
Of course, Senzel has to reach the big leagues and force the issue first. This is a "problem" more than a Problem, and something the Reds will figure out when the time comes. For now, the club has locked up one of their best young players long-term, and that is something every rebuilding team should do as they prepare to make the jump from rebuilder to contender.
