With Elly De La Cruz at the lead, the Cincinnati Reds were a fun team to watch last season. The scrappy bunch was able to make the postseason, but had to face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
As we all know how that went, it was on the front office to make this team a little better over the winter. They did so by signing Eugenio Suarez.
The two sides agreed on a one-year deal for him to return. For those unaware, Suarez spent seven years in Cincinnati before being traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2022.
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Eugenio Suarez returns to Cincinnati to reclaim his home run throne
Last season, Elly De La Cruz led the club in home runs. He hit 22, while not missing a single game during the regular season. However, he only hit four home runs after the All-Star break.
And while Suarez also experienced a slump after the break last year, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter believes Suarez will be the one to lead the Reds in terms of power.
"The Reds' two biggest home run threats both put up huge first-half numbers and slumped after the break:
Eugenio Suarez (1st half): 95 G, .889 OPS, 31 HR
Eugenio Suarez (2nd half): 64 G, .729 OPS, 18 HR
Elly De La Cruz (1st half): 97 G, .854 OPS, 18 HR
Elly De La Cruz (2nd half): 65 G, .666 OPS, 4 HR
Suarez still has plenty left in the tank, and a return to Great American Ball Park for his home games will also provide a boost."
While Reuter points out Cruz and Suarez, there are also other names fans will want to pay attention to. Spencer Steer could also put his name in the hat to lead the club this season if he can stay healthy all year.
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