Aug 6, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Su‡rez (55) in the dugout during a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher
It doesn't appear that Ranger Suárez is going to be the latest pitcher repped by Scott Boras to have his free agency drag out into Spring Training.
Following the seven-year/$210 million deal that Dylan Cease signed with the Toronto Blue Jays last week — a pact that reportedly includes $64 million in deferrals — ESPN's Jeff Passan says that the next domino to fall on the pitching market might be Suárez:
"Teams in the mix for Suarez believe he's the next big-time starter off the board. Though the 30-year-old won't fetch a Dylan Cease-level deal, he long has been a target for Houston, which balks at deals beyond six years, and Baltimore, which is seeking a top-end rotation piece."
Granted, there's not necessarily a guarantee that the next domino falls soon, but with the MLB Winter Meetings next week from Monday-Wednesday in Orlando, you are left to wonder whether Suárez could have a new home around the time that Kyle Schwarber makes his free-agent decision.
Suárez is a complicated free agent, because he's spent time on the injured list with a back-related ailment in three of the last four years, and his average fastball velocity dipped from 93.4 mph in 2023 to 91.3 mph in 2025.
On the flip side, Suárez's confidence both on the mound and as a fielder are contageous. He's been a really good regular-season pitcher, posting a 3.38 ERA over parts of eight seasons with the Phillies. But he's found another level in the postseason, thriving as both a starter and a reliever with a 1.48 ERA across 42 2/3 October innings.
A day after Suárez limited the Los Angeles Dodgers to just one run over five innings in relief of Aaron Nola in a Game 3 NLDS victory, Boras made his elevator pitch on the lefty in a conversation with OnPattison:
"I've represented a lot of great starters," Boras said. "There are few men that you can say their routine is not their routine. Whenever you tell Ranger you want him, he just says 'OK, I'll go do it.' He's fine with his preparation with whatever part of the game it is. That is a value that is immeasurable value when you can do things like you did last night."
With Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Jesús Luzardo and Taijuan Walker under contract for 2026 — along with No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter likely to debut early in the season — there's been no indication that the Phillies are players to bring back Suárez.
That doesn't mean, however, that they wouldn't prefer for him to sign with an AL team like the Orioles or Astros, as opposed to an NL one they could see in the postseason. Obviously, the worst outcome for the Phillies would be if Suárez joined the division-rival New York Mets, who do have a need at the top of their starting rotation.
When Suárez does ultimately sign elsewhere — regardless of where that may be — the Phillies will receive a compensatory selection after the fourth round of the 2026 MLB Draft because the former All-Star declined a qualifying offer.
