Eugenio Suarez and Elly De La Cruz

Last night, I joined my old podcast, also named “The Riverfront,” to talk Reds baseball. My buddy and co-author Chris Garber was there, as well, and we always seem to laugh a lot every time we get together. A fun time. Thanks to Seth Shaner for inviting us on, and it looks like I’ll be able to join more in the coming months. I definitely miss the podcast community we built up over the years; I started that podcast in 2007! That seems impossible. We’re building a great community here at Substack, but I haven’t forgotten where I came from.

I encourage you to go listen to that episode (and subscribe) wherever you find audio podcasts. Seriously, only listen on audio. Because if you watch it on YouTube, you’ll be introduced to my ridiculous winter beard. Just know that my wife objects and, as usual, she’s correct. I need to shave. You can see it for yourself here, but please don’t.

One of the things I talked about on the show was something I hadn’t seen talked about a lot in the wake of Eugenio Suarez returning to Cincinnati. Geno will help this club in the batter’s box: he brings much-needed power to a lineup that was sorely lacking in that skill. Geno will help this team at the box office: he’s easy to root for and is a fan favorite for a reason.

But he’ll also help this club in another way: his veteran leadership.

As I’ve said before, I fully admit that I was a big proponent of the sabermetric revolution in baseball. I wish the Redlegs hadn’t been so far behind the curve in that respect. But over the years, like many in favor of advanced analytics, I completely dismissed the importance of “intangibles” in baseball. And I know why I did it: intangibles can’t be quantified on a spreadsheet, so how do we measure whether someone’s “intangibles” are actually a net benefit to his baseball team?

But over the years, I’ve returned (at least somewhat) to original principles. There are intangible that affect a club and even if we can’t quantify them, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist or aren’t important.

One of those is leadership.

Have you ever played a team sport? If so, I bet you understand how leadership is important. Perhaps the captain of a team inspired you to work harder toward the team’s ultimate goal. Maybe the best player on the team inspired you to try to be more like him or her. It happens every day all across the world.

More to the point: maybe you work for a business, or a non-profit, or a school, or a government agency. Hopefully you had a supervisor who was a great leader, and you understand how that helps organizations achieve big things. If not, go read “The Leadership Challenge,” and you’ll be convinced.

Anyway, that’s where I am with the Geno signing. Is it possible that his leadership ability might inspire his teammates to reach greater heights? More particularly: what can Geno do to help Elly De La Cruz reach his potential?

I remember when Suarez was a hotshot young shortstop acquired from Detroit. He was eventually shifted over to third base, where he struggled mightily with the glove in those early days. He never became a Gold Glover, but he did come through some of the challenges Elly is facing: specifically, facing skeptics about his defensive ability.

Can Suarez’s experience and leadership ability help Elly reach the next level in his development? Maybe I have my rose-colored glasses on, and I’m too optimistic with spring training around the corner. This happens every year. But I love what Geno had to say about his relationship with Elly:

“Whatever he needs for me, I will help him,” Suarez said. “Not only on the field, but off the field. It’s not always about physically. It is about being mentally strong.”

The two connected at the 2025 All-Star Game, and Suarez said De La Cruz is already “fired up” about playing alongside him.

Suarez explained that he came to Cincinnati to help the team win games while also being someone the younger players can lean on when things get tough.

I can’t quantify it with the numbers, and I don’t have a spreadsheet or data to confirm my suspicions. But I’m genuinely excited to see if the presence of Eugenio Suarez will make a real impact on the club’s superstar young shortstop. And I do think it’s possible.

If we get to the end of the 2026 season, and Elly De La Cruz is in the MVP discussion…well, we may need to give Geno Suarez a bit of the credit.

Now that will inspire Good Vibes Only, my friends.

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