Aug 1, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suárez throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Citizens Bank Park. (Grace Del Pizzo/On Pattison)
A month ago, it appeared Ranger Suárez could soon sign with a team. But we're now nearly a week into the New Year, and the former All-Star is still a free agent.
Here's the latest buzz on Suárez, who has seemed likely all offseason to depart the Phillies in free agency.
ESPN's Buster Olney gave an update on Suárez Tuesday when asked what free-agent pitchers are "coming up most in your recent conversations" that will make Phillies fans sick:
"Suarez and Framber Valdez, for sure. With the Mets still needing help in their rotation, it seems inevitable they'll land one of these two -- and Suarez makes a lot of sense, given his calm mound presence and experience pitching in a big market for all of those years in Philadelphia."
While Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has spent much of this offseason, controversially, remaking the team's lineup, it was their starting rotation that failed them the most down the stretch. 2025 was a lost season for Sean Manaea, while Kodai Senga (6.58 ERA in eight starts) and David Peterson (6.34 ERA in 12 starts) struggled mightily after the All-Star Break. What the Mets needed down the stretch was a stopper, and they didn't have that.
Now, whether Suárez or Valdez — both of whom have had some spotty second halves in their career — would have been a solution to that problem is unclear. But unless the Mets can land Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta or Joe Ryan in a trade, Suárez or Valdez might be their best options to go atop their rotation with NL Rookie of the Year favorite Nolan McLean.
Inevitably, there would be some Phillies fans who turn on Suárez if he signs with the Mets, arguably the team's biggest rival. But there's no evidence the Phillies have mounted a serious effort to retain Suárez this offseason, so it would be hard to fault him if he bolts for the Mets, a team that clearly is committed to trying to win, even if the Steve Cohen Era has produced varying results thus far. Then again, the Washington Nationals blew away anything the Phillies were willing to offer Jayson Werth after 2010, and he was booed for all seven years of his contract, despite having been a key cog in the greatest era in team history. So it may be that there's no nuance with some fans if you join a division rival.
Suárez would probably prefer not to become a villain to the fanbase that he spent the first eight years of his career as a favorite of. Alternatively, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reported that the Orioles remain interested in Suárez (and Valdez), despite having traded for Shane Baz and re-signed Zach Eflin already this winter.
The Chicago Cubs are another team that makes sense for both Suárez and Valdez, but they continue to operate in a perplexing manner for a franchise that one would think should be one of the top-five spenders in the sport. They're seemingly content to let Kyle Tucker walk in free agency, and it's unclear if they would want to add another left-hander to a rotation that already includes two lefties in Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga, and could get another southpaw in Justin Steele back from left elbow surgery at some point in 2026.
