Third baseman Suarez had 30 homers and 101 RBIs in his first season in Arizona in 2024, helping the Diamondbacks to a major league-leading 886 runs scored — 44 more than the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who were second.

Suarez has at least 30 homers in three of the last four seasons, and he was second in homers and third in RBIs among major league third basemen in 2024. Only Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez (39), San Diego’s Manny Machado (29), Miami’s Jake Burger (29) and Boston’s Rafael Devers (28) had more.

With Houston’s Alex Bergman the only statistically comparable third baseman on the free agent market this winter, the Suarez/Arizona union seemed all but assured. Bregman is said to be seeking deal larger than the five-year, $100 million contract he signed prior to the 2019 season, which puts the decision to keep Suarez in a favorable light.

The Diamondbacks can use the pop. While All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte led the Diamondbacks with 36 homers and 95 RBIs (both career highs) last season and is working with a team-friendly contract through 2027 with a team option for 2028, the D-Backs are expected to lose first baseman Christian Walker and outfielder/DH Joc Pederson via free agency this winter.

Walker had 26 homers and 84 RBIs and Peterson (23, 64) were third and fourth on the team in homers last season.

Arizona undoubtedly will extend Walker a one-year qualifying offer of $21.05 million, a number determined by the computing the mean salary of the highest-paid 125 players in 2024.

At the same time, Walker, 33, could be expect a multi-year contract at a similar price, if recent market trends continue, inasmuch as he contributes on both sides of the ball. He is a two-time defending NL Gold Glove winner.

Pederson has a $14 mutual option that he seems all but certain to decline, which would him into the free agent pool for the second straight season and fourth time in five years.

A left-handed hitter, Pederson had a career-high .908 OPS with his sixth season of least 23 homers. He is not eligible to receive qualifying offer because he received one from San Francisco two years ago.

The D-Backs earlier in the day lost outfielder/DH Randal Grichuk, who formed the right-handed hitting side of a semi-platoon with Pederson. Grichuk declined his $6 million option of 2025 and received a $1.75 million buyout.

Suarez, 33, graded out at minus-four in defensive “runs saved” at third base last season as calculated by FanGraphs, the fourth consecutive season he ranked in the minus, and he struck out 176 times in 158 games.

At the same time, the D-Backs understood what they were getting when they acquired Suarez in a trade with Seattle for right-hander Carlos Vargas and catcher Seby Zavala last winter. He has been on the minus side of the “runs saved” metric for six consecutive seasons. On the other side, his strikeout rate dipped this season for the first since 2018.

They made it to the World Series by scoring 746 runs in 2023, a figure they wanted to improve.

The D-backs consider 2021 first-round draft pick Jordan Lawlar their best infield prospect, but they are loath to rush him because of a series of injuries that began when he suffered a shoulder injury weeks after he received a $6.7 million signing bonus as the sixth overall pick.

Lawlar had 20 homers at a two minor league stops in 2023, finishing at Triple-A Reno, but he was limited to 104 at-bats at three levels in 2024 after undergoing thumb rugby in the offseason. He had two homers and 20 RBIs with a .900 OPS last season and is continuing to hit well with Licey in the Dominican Winter League.

A natural shortstop, Lawlar has played both shortstop and third base in Licey. He is blocked at shortstop in Arizona by Geraldo Perdomo, who was plus-10 in “runs saved” this season despite playing only 98 games after suffering torn meniscus in his right knee a week into the regular season.

Should Lawlar start well in 2025, the D-Backs could consider trading Suarez, who will be a free agent next winter.

Suarez started slowly this season, hitting five six homers in his first 77 games, but he was the most productive hitter on the team in the second half, when the Diamondbacks were 50-31 after June 27 including a 20-5 stretch after the All-Star break.

He slashed .312/.359/.607 with 18 doubles, 24 home runs and a .966 OPS in his final 81 games.