Red Sox Reportedly Targeted Eugenio Suarez for 1B Before Mariners-Diamondbacks Trade

The Boston Red Sox were "in the mix" for third baseman Eugenio Suárez before the Arizona Diamondbacks traded him to the Seattle Mariners, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey.

The Red Sox were targeting Suárez with the hope of playing him at first base, according to Rosenthal and McCaffrey.

The Diamondbacks ultimately traded Suárez to the Mariners in exchange for three prospects ranked among Seattle's top 20 by MLB Pipeline.

The Red Sox would have added offense by acquiring Suárez, who is leading MLB with 87 RBI through the first 106 games of the season. But the trade would have also involved the 12-year MLB veteran adjusting to an almost entirely new position.

Suárez has made 1,304 career appearances at third base and 209 at shortstop, but just one at first base, per Baseball Reference.

That one appearance took place last Friday, when Suárez played two innings at the position during the club's first game since trading first baseman Josh Naylor to the Mariners.

The Red Sox may have been willing to risk some defensive struggles as Suárez adjusted to his new position in order to add his bat to the lineup. Instead, he is likely to resume his work at third base with the Mariners.

Boston will meanwhile be left without an effective long-term solution at first base, which has been a problem ever since the club lost Triston Casas to a season-ending knee injury in May.

The Red Sox could still make a move for a first baseman before the MLB trade window closes on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. The club has been tied to an interest in Tampa Bay Rays slugger Yandy Díaz, although Alex Speier of the Boston Globe wrote Thursday that the trade is "extremely unlikely."