The D-backs traded Eugenio Suarez on July 31, 2025, then lost 7-2 to the Tigers for their 5th straight loss. A new era begins in Arizona for the franchise.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a day of difficult goodbyes and familiar frustrations for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Just hours after news broke that the team had traded fan-favorite third baseman Eugenio Suarez to the Seattle Mariners, the D-backs dropped their fifth straight game, a 7-2 loss to the Tigers that felt like a somber footnote to a franchise-altering day. The move, and the loss that followed, officially signals a pivot from contending in 2025 to building for tomorrow.
With the loss, the Diamondbacks have now matched their longest losing streak of the season and have scored just six runs over their last three games.
The biggest news of the day was the departure of Eugenio Suarez. In a classic deadline move for a struggling team, the D-backs sent the All-Star slugger to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for first base prospect Tyler Locklear and two promising young arms. Suarez, who had just returned to the lineup from a hand injury, went 1-for-4 in what would be his final game in a Diamondbacks uniform. The team's social media was filled with tributes, thanking 'Geno' for his contributions and leadership, a sentiment echoed by a disappointed but understanding fanbase.
On the field, the story was depressingly familiar. The offense couldn't get going, managing just five hits against Detroit. Ryne Nelson took the loss (6-3), charged with four runs (only one earned) over 4.1 innings, but the bullpen couldn't stop the bleeding as Kyle Backhus surrendered another three runs. The only sparks of life came from Geraldo Perdomo, who drove in both of Arizona's runs, including a solo shot in the ninth inning. The defeat drops the team to 51-58, a distant 12 games back in the NL West.
In a media session following the trade, the Diamondbacks president emphasized the organization's shift in focus. The move to acquire Locklear, a highly-touted first baseman expected to compete for a big-league job soon, underscores a commitment to youth. The front office acknowledged the difficulty of trading a player like Suarez but stressed the necessity of acquiring young, controllable talent to build a long-term winner. Other roster moves, like sending LHP Jalen Beeks to Reno for a rehab assignment and reinstating outfielder Alek Thomas, show the team is already adjusting its personnel for the final stretch.
As the dust settles on a tumultuous trade deadline, the mission for the rest of the 2025 season is clear: evaluation. The final two months will be an extended tryout, a chance for young players to prove they belong and for the front office to see exactly what they have in prospects like Locklear. The wins and losses may be painful now, but for the Diamondbacks, the focus has officially shifted from the standings to the foundation of the future.
