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Free-agent slugger Eugenio Suárez could solve the Blue Jays' Anthony Santander problem

Toronto needs a more reliable source of power at DH in 2027.
ByBen Wrixon
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Sep 26, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Eugenio Suarez (28) smiles in the dugout during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Sep 26, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Eugenio Suarez (28) smiles in the dugout during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A right-handed power bat will be high on the Toronto Blue Jays’ shopping list once the offseason begins, and Eugenio Suárez certainly fits the bill. He rebounded from an injury-riddled first half to hit 26 home runs this past season with the Cincinnati Reds, which would have been second on the Blue Jays behind only rookie sensation Kazuma Okamoto. 

The issue is that Suárez is definitely a full-time designated hitter at this stage of his career and Anthony Santander appears set to fill that role for the Blue Jays. Here’s why they should consider it anyway. 

Suárez’s .740 OPS doesn’t reflect how well he hit over the final two months of the season after finally getting healthy. 

After dealing with an oblique strain in April and then getting hit in the hand at the end of June, Suárez recovered to post an .852 OPS in August and an even better .935 OPS in September. He hit 12 home runs with 35 RBIs over that two-month stretch. 

He looked a lot more like the Suárez who hit 49 home runs in 2025 to end the season than the guy whose batting average was hovering below the .200 mark for much of the first half. It’s sometimes easy to forget he’s racked up 351 home runs over his 13-year career. 

Of course, Suárez is not without his shortcomings. He is an abysmal defender at third base and will always strike too much. But slotting him in at DH is an easy way to alleviate the first problem, and surrounding him with high-contact hitters like those on the Blue Jays can help make up for the latter. 

Santander is the real elephant in the room. While yes, he could provide similar production if healthy, can he really be trusted to take the field? He missed the entire 2026 season after suffering one setback after another. Banking on anything from him feels like it would be a mistake.

The fact of the matter is that the Blue Jays need to get better in 2027. They need to add more thump to their lineup, and few hitters have been a more reliable source of exactly that over the past decade than Suárez. He’s usually good for 30 home runs over at least 150 games played—wouldn’t that have been nice on the 2026 squad? 

Maybe Santander will come back strong next season. Maybe he’ll prove everyone wrong and make good on his contract. Or maybe he’ll get hurt again, or, worse, hit like he did when he was healthy 2025. He comes with far too many unknowns to be pencilled in as the starting DH next year. 

Suárez is not a perfect player and he certainly shouldn’t be the Blue Jays’ only offensive addition if they sign him. He’s a true slugger who would make their lineup better, though, and one who probably wouldn’t cost all that much. They shouldn’t let the thought of starting Santander stop them from signing him if there is mutual interest in a deal. 

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