Red Sox sign lefty Suarez as AL East continues to grow stronger

6 days ago 1

Just days after the Boston Red Sox were outbid for star third baseman Alex Bregman, the club has pivoted in a new direction.

The Red Sox beefed up their starting rotation on Wednesday afternoon, agreeing to terms with left-hander Ranger Suarez on a $130-million deal. It’s yet another big winter move in the American League East, a division that’s poised to be among the most competitive in baseball.

Suarez joins a handful of new impact players in Boston, while the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays have made considerable additions so far in the off-season. The New York Yankees, meanwhile, have been quiet, yet that could change in the coming days.

Here’s a closer look at the Suarez contract.

The deal:

The Boston Red Sox reached an agreement with left-hander Ranger Suarez on a five-year, $130-million deal. Amazingly, it’s the first free agent signing by the club this off-season.

The runners up:

The market for Suarez was somewhat unclear, but he made sense for several teams looking to bolster their starting rotation. The New York Mets remain in that category, while the Orioles are said to be interested in adding more pitching, even after landing right-hander Shane Baz in a trade and bringing back Zach Eflin.

The player:

Suarez is coming off his best season as a full-time starter, having produced 4.7 wins above replacement with a 3.20 ERA across 26 starts and a career-high 157.1 innings. In today’s baseball landscape that emphasizes high velocity from pitchers, Suarez is an anomaly with a 90.5-m.p.h. fastball velo that’s among the lowest in the sport.

While he’s a true soft-tossing lefty in the vein of Jamie Moyer, the 30-year-old Suarez has grown into one of baseball’s elite starting pitchers thanks to his impeccable command. He deploys a six-pitch arsenal and is among the hardest hurlers to square up, with a 31.1 per cent hard-hit rate that sits in the 98th percentile. For context, the hard-hit percentage of the flame-throwing dragon that is two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal was 33 per cent.

Command is Suarez’s game and he’s used it to construct a strong resume during parts of eight seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. Since 2022, Suarez’s first full campaign in the rotation, his 12.2 fWAR ranked seventh in the National League, while his 50.8 per cent ground ball rate ranked 10th and his 3.59 ERA was 18th.

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Suarez posted a career-best 5.8 per cent walk rate in 2025 and his unique style could help this contract age well for the Red Sox. He doesn’t depend on velocity and fills up the zone while avoiding home runs.

The left-hander is also an impressive post-season performer, owning a 1.48 ERA over 42.2 innings. Of course, if Suarez performs to that pedigree in his new home, he’ll quickly become a Boston folk hero.

The fit:

The addition of Suarez should help quell the intense emotion among Red Sox fans in the wake of Bregman’s departure. The third baseman had quickly become a pillar in the Boston lineup and clubhouse, and when the club was outbid by the Chicago Cubs for Bregman, fans were livid.

While the team still needs an impact bat, Suarez significantly improves the outlook of a rotation fronted by Cy Young candidate Garrett Crochet. Suarez provides a much different look than the power southpaw Crochet and his presence in the No. 2 slot slides down Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello and Johan Oviedo to more appropriate spots. It’s a formidable five-man, and beyond that, young left-handers Payton Tolle and Connelly Early offer promising depth.

Boston will depend on that group to prevent runs in a competitive AL East that features some of baseball’s most powerful lineups in the Yankees, Orioles and Blue Jays.

The market:

MLB Trade Rumors (MLBTR) forecasted a five-year, $115-million contract for Suarez. He landed that term but exceeded the value by $15 million.

The next domino:

Framber Valdez is the best starting pitcher left on the free-agent board and his market will likely progress now that Suarez is inked. Valdez is more accomplished and durable than Suarez, and despite being two years older, he figures to receive a larger contract. (For context, MLBTR predicted a five-year, $150-million deal for Valdez at the start of the off-season.)

Zac Gallen is another frontline starter who remains unsigned, although he’s coming off a rough season and is considered in a tier below Valdez and Suarez.