The Chicago Cubs’ path to Eugenio Suárez just got quite a bit simpler.
Suárez is the top bat expected to be available during this summer’s 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 before the July 31 MLB trade deadline, but the Bronx Bombers just made a different move instead.
The Yankees traded for Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon Friday afternoon, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand:
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.
They were seen as possibly the top suitor for Suárez, and the McMahon deal now increases the chances Suárez ends 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.
Shaw has been very good defensively at the hot corner 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.
Suárez 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.
His 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 be in the market for third base help, though the Mariners already struck a deal with the Diamondbacks Thursday for first baseman Josh Naylor.
Other teams could emerge in the Suárez sweepstakes, but the Yankees leaving the chat certainly bodes well for the Cubs at the moment.
The cost for Suárez is not 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 like Suárez.