After missing out on locking up Alex Bregman to a long-term deal, the Red Sox quickly shifted gears and leaned into one of their strengths: pitching. Boston went back into the free-agent market and used the money originally set aside for Bregman to sign left-handed starter Ranger Suárez to a five-year, $135 million deal.

The Red Sox rotation is anchored by left-hander Garrett Crochet, who finished second to Tarik Skubal in the Cy Young race and looks poised for another strong season. Ranger Suárez slots in right behind him, followed by Sonny Gray, Bryan Bello, and Johan Oviedo rounding out the rotation. For a team that still has some offensive question marks, Boston responded by significantly upgrading its starting pitching. On paper, this is one of the strongest rotations in the American League, rivaled only by the Yankees—and arguably one of the best in all of baseball. As it stands, the Red Sox now feature four All-Star–caliber starters, and the addition of Suárez only further cements them as a legitimate postseason threat.

It’s a bit of a head-scratcher that Ranger Suárez was viewed as underrated in this free-agent class. It was especially surprising that the Phillies, the only organization he’s ever known, allowed him to walk without a truly competitive offer. Suárez’s 2025 season was one of the most underrated campaigns in baseball and somehow didn’t earn him an All-Star selection. In 26 starts, he posted a 4.7 WAR, finishing roughly 13th–15th among all pitchers. Over 157.1 innings, he struck out 151 batters, went 12–8, and recorded a 3.20 ERA with a 137 ERA+, meaning he was 37 percent better than league average. He didn’t reach 30 starts, but with such a deep Phillies rotation, he didn’t need to.

Since 2021, Ranger Suárez has been one of the more reliable pitchers in the league, consistently producing at least two WAR per season. His career-high came when he transitioned from the bullpen to the rotation, posting a 5.6 WAR season with an 8–5 record, a 1.36 ERA, 39 appearances, 106 innings, 107 strikeouts, and a dominant 308 ERA+. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2022—the same year he helped lead the Phillies to the World Series—he has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball, posting a 3.59 ERA over that span.

On top of that, Suárez owns one of the best postseason ERAs in the game today, with a career 1.48 ERA across eight starts and 11 postseason appearances. In an era where pitchers rarely work deep into games, Suárez stands out. He averaged six innings per start despite throwing just 157.1 innings in a shortened season, showing efficiency and durability. He should fit well at Fenway Park, especially with a strong infield defense led by Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer, who has drawn praise for his smooth arm action and ability to convert ground balls into outs.

Suárez’s success is built on contact management. He generated a 48 percent ground-ball rate, meaning nearly half of all balls put in play against him stayed on the ground. His soft-contact rate ranked first in the league, ahead of names like Hunter Brown, Tarik Skubal, and Andrew Abbott.

The Phillies did extend a qualifying offer following the 2025 season, but with teams increasingly hesitant to surrender draft capital tied to qualifying offers, Suárez’s market developed slowly. That hesitation opened the door for the Red Sox, who stepped in decisively and closed the deal.

Overall, this is an exceptional signing by Boston on every level. Ranger Suárez significantly raises the team’s ceiling and should play a major role in winning both regular-season games and meaningful postseason matchups. A one-two punch of Garrett Crochet and Ranger Suárez is capable of overwhelming any opposing lineup when October rolls around.