The Mets' offense this year has been hit or miss, often dragged down by a bottom of the lineup that hasn't offered much support.
The top of the order -- "The Fab Four" as Steve Cohen recently dubbed them, borrowing the nickname of The Beatles -- is beastly.
Featuring Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso, the Mets have a quartet that can create offense in a flash, as they did last Tuesday against the Orioles while erasing a four-run eighth-inning deficit, and again late in the game this past Friday against the Royals in Kansas City.
But the Mets need more.
It could come in the form of someone like Mark Vientos stepping up and/or Francisco Alvarez finding his power stroke when he returns from Triple-A Syracuse.
It could also come via trade.
The Mets' biggest needs right now are in center field (Tyrone Taylor has a .580 OPS) and third base (where none of the Mets' young, homegrown players have been able to fully seize the opportunity).
So, should New York swing a trade for slugging Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez?
PROS
Suarez has been a total menace power-wise this year, slashing .250/.320/.569 with 31 home runs, 18 doubles, and 78 RBI in 391 plate appearances over 95 games.
He leads the National League in RBI, and is behind only Cal Raleigh (82) and Aaron Judge (81) in all of baseball.
Suarez's 31 homers are fourth-most in baseball, trailing Raleigh (38), Judge (35), and Shohei Ohtani (32).
While this season's power surge is enormous even by Suarez's standards, he has cemented himself as one of the most reliable home run hitters in baseball over the last decade.
He has averaged 32 homers per 162 games during his career, has eclipsed 30 homers in a season six times, and has a 49-homer season on his ledger (coming in 2019 with the Reds). So a lot more thunder should be expected from him in the second half.
Suarez would also fill a void at third base, though his defense there leaves a lot to be desired (more on that below).
One of the most important things about Suarez is that he's set to become a free agent after the season, so the cost to acquire him should be relatively low.
That doesn't mean the Mets or another team wouldn't have to part with a prospect or two of value, but it's impossible to envision New York having to trade any of their top eight or nine prospects for him.
CONS
There are two negatives that stick out when it comes to Suarez -- his defense and his propensity to strike out.
Suarez has already fanned 105 times in 95 games this season, and is on pace to finish the year with 175 K's. He fanned 176 times last season after striking out 214 times in 2023 and 196 times in 2022.
His defense is also subpar -- Suarez has been worth -4 Outs Above Average at third base this season, putting him in the ninth percentile.
This should be a less important aspect, but trading for Suarez would also likely mean a lot less playing time for Ronny Mauricio and Brett Baty -- plus defenders at third base who have showed flashes at the plate, but not enough consistency.
It would be surprising if the Mets don't swing a trade for a center fielder to replace Taylor in the lineup. And if New York trades for a center fielder, it would force Jeff McNeil to second base on a regular basis.
Add Suarez or another third baseman to the mix, and the playing time for Mauricio and Baty dries up -- with Vientos likely a main designated hitter option along with Jesse Winker upon his return.
But in a season where the Mets are trying to win a World Series, they can't (and won't) let a few months of lost playing time for Mauricio or Baty stop them from obtaining a game-changing bat like Suarez.
VERDICT
For a return that shouldn't hurt that much, New York would get one of the best power hitters in baseball without any commitment beyond this season.
Suarez would provide serious thump beyond the top four, an answer at third base, and allow the Mets to have more options to DH. This should be an easy yes.