ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 11: Ranger Suarez #55 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates striking out Travis d’Arnaud #16 of the Atlanta Braves while the bases are loaded during the third inning in game one of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 11, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, January 14th, the Boston Red Sox signed Free-Agent Starting Pitcher Ranger Suárez to a five-year contract worth $ 130 million. Every Boston Red Sox fan’s Wishlist included a First Baseman, a reunion with Alex Bregman, and a top-end of-the-rotation starter. Thus far, the Boston Red Sox offseason has been frustrating for fans, with the team losing out on Free-Agent Targets Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso, and Alex Bregman. Nonetheless, the surprise pivot to bolstering the rotation by signing Ranger Suárez helps make the Boston Red Sox a better team in 2026 and beyond. 

“A Number Two Starter”

Suárez is sort of a throwback pitcher who relies on pitchability and finesse as opposed to high velocity. His five-pitch mix with pinpoint control has turned Suárez into one of baseball’s most reliable starting pitchers. An area where Suárez truly stands out is his ability to change speeds. His changeup is 11 MPH slower than his sinker, and his curveball is 17 MPH slower and drops 14 inches.

Over the past two seasons, Suarez has truly established himself as a frontline starting pitcher. Since 2024, Suárez’s 7.5 fWAR ranks ahead of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Joe Ryan, and Freddy Peralta, all of whom are viewed as some of baseball’s most elite front-line starting pitchers.

In 2025, the average exit velocity against Suárez was 86.5 MPH, ranking in the 95th percentile, and the Hard-Hit Percentage of 31.1% ranked in the 98th percentile, which resulted in a career best 3.20 ERA in 26 starts with the Philadelphia Phillies. It is worth noting that Suárez has been one of baseball’s best starting pitchers for several years now. Since he transitioned into a Starting Pitcher in 2022, Suárez is one of 13 pitchers to throw at least 550 innings, have 50 or more quality starts, and post an ERA below 3.60. In October, Breslow emphasized the need for pitching additions that “move the needle,” and that is precisely what Ranger Suárez does for the Boston Red Sox. Suárez is the exact type of guy you want on the mound for your team in a playoff series and the perfect follow-up to Garrett Crochet. Ranger Suárez’s 1.48 postseason ERA is the fourth best in baseball since the league was integrated in 1947. Only Mariano Rivera, Sandy Koufax, and Stephen Strasburg have a lower ERA (Minimum 40 innings).

The Price of Doing Business

Ranger Suárez’s five-year deal is the largest contract the Boston Red Sox have signed since Trevor Story in 2022. With a 26 million AAV, Suárez is the 12th highest-paid starting pitcher in baseball. Nonetheless, as noted above, Suárez is one of the game’s most efficient pitchers. Beyond the 130 million over five years, the Red Sox will also be forfeiting their second- and fifth-round selections in the 2026 MLB Player Draft. Adding a pitcher of Suárez’s caliber is a hefty price to pay, but it is worthwhile for a team with the ability to contend for a World Series for the next several years. Is a 26 million AAV a lot for a thirty-year-old starting pitcher? Absolutely, but it is the cost of doing business in Free Agency these days.

Dylan Cease signed a 7 year, 210-million-dollar contract with the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason. Since 2022, Dylan Cease has posted a 3.67 ERA across 130 starts, including 52 quality starts. Suárez, meanwhile, has posted a 3.59 ERA in 104 starts with 50 Quality Starts. Obviously, Cease’s durability and high strikeout rate make a difference, but Suárez walks fewer batters, induces weaker contact, and generates nearly identical results. However, Cease got two additional years and an extra five million per year, despite being the same age as Suárez. Safe to say the Red Sox got a fair deal from Scott Boras with Ranger Suárez.

Final Thoughts

Losing Alex Bregman to the Cubs still hurts. At five years, $175 million, Bregman’s contract would have cost 45 million more, and the Red Sox could have kept their second and fifth selections in the draft. The No-Trade-Clause policy really hurt the Red Sox this offseason. They always have buyer’s remorse, as Manny Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Pablo Sandoval, Chris Sale, David Price, and Rafael Devers are examples of lucrative Free-Agent contracts the Red Sox later traded. They would have traded Alex Bregman later in the contract, despite the impact he makes on the field and off. How many baseball players make the players around them better? Bregman is a significant loss. Still, pivoting to Ranger Suárez was an excellent move from Craig Breslow. With Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, Johan Oviedo, Connelly Early, Payton Tolle, Kyle Harrison, Patrick Sandavol, and Kutter Crawford, the Red Sox have one of the best rotations in baseball and an impressive amount of pitching depth. With a 268-million-dollar payroll, could Brayan Bello be moved along with Conelly Early or Payton Tolle to add an impact infielder via trade? The Red Sox next move will be interesting and is crucial in defining the offseason.