The Phillies are reportedly unlikely to bring back the veteran All-Star, raising major questions about leadership and postseason experience in 2026. DD
The Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly not expecting to re-sign free agent pitcher Ranger Suarez, who is coming off an All-Star season.
Suarez pitched 157.1 innings last season, putting up a solid 3.20 ERA and a 12-8 record. His ERA+ was 137, well above average, while his FIP was 3.21, indicating that he did not benefit from excellent fielding, which would have inflated his ERA.
His 2025 was valued at 4.7 bWAR, his best year based on that metric since 2021.
The southpaw had such an impressive season at the perfect time, as he will enter the open market at the ripe age of 29. The Phillies, initially, were expected to bring him back on a reasonable deal, but new reports indicate otherwise.
According to R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports, Philadelphia is preparing to lose Suarez, and they will not be entering the market for another starting pitcher.
The Phillies already have two other lefty starters in Jesus Luzardo and Cristopher Sanchez, both of whom are higher-end arms with elite stuff.
While the president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, has not shut the door on Suarez returning, he appears to be looking to add another depth arm rather than a high-priced pitcher.
“I can’t say we wouldn’t,” Dombrowski told The Athletic. “But, again, it’s not our highest priority. … You have to be careful. You always need to look for starting pitching depth.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean top of the market, but where does that fit in? Because you never have enough starting pitching, and really for us, after you get past (the top six starters) … now you’re talking about (minor leaguer Jean) Cabrera, he would be one of those guys. But we don’t have a lot of starting pitching depth, so that’s something we need to be cognizant of.”
The Phillies have other priorities, namely keeping Kyle Schwarber, who put together an MVP-type season and whose slugging will be sorely missed in the lineup.
Dombrowski will need to get creative this winter if he wants to improve a team that fell short in the playoffs early on.
