Report: Nationals discussed Suarez with Reds

The Washington Nationals have had talks with the Cincinnati Reds regarding former All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suarez, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Washington recently traded away a pair of pitching prospects to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Josh Bell and made farmhand pitchers Jackson Rutledge and Cade Cavalli unavailable as a result, which makes a deal unlikely, Heyman adds. Rutledge and Cavalli rank No. 1 and No. 2 in Washington's farm system, respectively, according to MLB Pipeline.

While no player is off-limits, the Reds reportedly are not actively looking to move Suarez. The 29-year-old has drawn more interest, but Cincinnati is more open to listening to offers for Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos, according to Heyman. Both players signed four-year, $64-million contracts last winter.

Suarez is coming off a down year at the plate, posting his lowest OPS since 2016 following back-to-back seasons of down-ballot MVP consideration. The third baseman hit .202/.312/.470 with 15 home runs and two stolen bases over 57 games in the pandemic-shortened campaign.

The Nationals have been one of the busier teams this winter, also landing slugging outfielder Kyle Schwarber on a one-year, $10-million deal over the weekend.