Kansas City Athletics Suarez then signed with the
Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent. Suarez's first professional hit was a
grand slam while playing for the
Lewiston Broncs in 1965. That season, he batted .253 with thirteen home runs and twenty RBIs while providing excellent defense for the Broncs and Double-A
Birmingham Barons. The Athletics invited Suarez to
spring training in 1966. He won the starting job out of camp, but lost the job to
Phil Roof after batting .185 with two RBIs through May. He remained in the major leagues through the
All-Star break before being optioned to the Double-A
Mobile A's. An injury to Roof early in the 1967 season resulted in Suarez again becoming the starting catcher. He hit his first major league home run in his first start of the season against
Mickey Lolich of the
Detroit Tigers. He batted .235 with two home runs and four RBI in eight games filling in for Roof. Once Roof returned, Suarez remained with the club as a back-up catcher. After the season, he was drafted by the
Cleveland Indians in the 1967
Rule 5 draft.
Alvin Dark, who had been his manager with Kansas City, was now the Indians' manager and wanted the player on his new team.
Cleveland Indians Suarez did not receive much playing time in Cleveland, appearing in only seventeen games in 1968, two of which were out of his natural position in
extra inning affairs. He had just one
hit in ten
at-bats. He split 1969 between the Indians and the
Pacific Coast League Portland Beavers, batting .294 with nine RBIs in 85 major league at-bats. He spent all of 1970 in the minors with the
Wichita Aeros, and batted .301, marking the only time he batted over .300 in his professional career. Given a more regular role in 1971, Suarez appeared in 50 games for the Indians, hitting only .203 in 123 at-bats.
Texas Rangers The Indians traded Suarez with
Roy Foster,
Rich Hand, and
Mike Paul to the
Texas Rangers for
Del Unser,
Denny Riddleberger,
Terry Ley, and
Gary Jones at the
Winter Meetings on December 2, 1971. He spent most of his first season with the Rangers as the third string catcher before being reassigned to the
Double-A Denver Bears. He
platooned with
Dick Billings behind the plate in 1973, and produced a .248
batting average while establishing himself as one of the better fielding catchers in the
American League. He broke up a
Jim Palmer perfect game attempt with a one-out single to left field in the ninth inning of a 9–1
away loss to the
Baltimore Orioles on 16 June. Suarez earned $20,000 in 1973 for the Rangers, and felt he was due for a raise. On February 7, 1974, he met with Rangers
general manager Dan O'Brien Sr. to negotiate a new contract. Failing to reach an agreement, he became the first player on the team to submit a contract to arbitration. Five days later, he was traded back to the Cleveland Indians for
shortstop Leo Cárdenas. Suarez chose to retire instead of go to camp with the Indians. The Indians traded Suarez on September 12, 1974, to the
California Angels with
Rusty Torres for
Frank Robinson. ==Personal life and death==