The Chicago Cubs’ path to Eugenio Suárez just became quite a bit simpler.

Suárez is expected to be the top available bat before the July 31 MLB trade deadline, as the Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman is in the midst of a career year.

[MORE: Five players Cubs should target ahead of MLB trade deadline]

The New York Yankees were expected to be one of the teams pushing hard to acquire Suárez, but they just made a different move instead. They traded for Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon on Friday afternoon, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported, citing a source:

Breaking: The Yankees are acquiring 3B Ryan McMahon from the Rockies, per source. Colorado will receive two prospects in return.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 25, 2025

That all but guarantees the Yankees will be out of the Suárez sweepstakes. And increases the chances he’ll end up on the North Side of Chicago.

The Cubs are in the market for third base help ahead of the deadline. Rookie Matt Shaw has been red hot since the All-Star break, but that is a small sample compared to the months-long struggles he has experienced at the plate this season. He has been very good defensively at the hot corner, though, and the Cubs remain bullish about his potential.

But for the rest of this season, Suárez could be a game-changing bat for a Cubs team that already ranks second in baseball in runs scored. He already has 36 homers this season — the second-highest total of his career — and leads MLB with 86 RBI. The 34-year-old has posted a 3.5 WAR and .918 OPS in 101 games in Arizona.

Suárez’s right-handed bat would help provide balance to the heart of the Cubs’ order, which is currently lefty-heavy with Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch leading the way alongside Seiya Suzuki.

The Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners are rumored to also be in the market for third base help, though the Mariners already struck a deal with the Diamondbacks on Thursday for first baseman Josh Naylor.

Other teams could emerge for Suárez, but the Yankees leaving the chat certainly bodes well for the Cubs at the moment. The cost isn’t expected to be astronomically high, as he is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, and rental bats historically do not fetch Top 100 prospects.

Marquee Sports Network’s Andy Martínez reported this week that the Cubs are not expected to deal their top prospects for a rental bat such as Suárez.