The Boston Red Sox pivoted to pitching.
Days after they watched star third baseman Alex Bregman leave in free agency, the Red Sox reached a five-year, $130 million contract with left-handed starter Ranger Suarez, according to multiple reports.
Suarez went 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA in 26 starts with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025. The 30-year-old owns a 3.38 ERA over eight MLB seasons.
The battle-tested Suarez has been even better in the playoffs, where he is 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA over 11 appearances, including eight starts.
Although his average fastball velocity of 90.5 mph was among the slowest in the majors, Suarez throws six pitches to keep hitters off balance and thrives at inducing soft contact. He recorded 151 strikeouts in 157.1 innings last year.
Suarez is set to become the first free agent to sign with the Red Sox this offseason, though they have been active on the trade market.
The addition of Suarez further bolsters a Boston rotation that also added veteran right-hander Sonny Gray (14-8, 4.28 ERA) in a November trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Boston now boasts one of the better starting staffs in baseball, with Suarez joining ace Garrett Crochet, Gray and Brayan Bello.
Other options include Johan Oviedo, whom the Red Sox acquired in a December trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, as well as promising rookies Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Kutter Crawford is set to return after an injury-plagued 2025, too.
Boston’s offense, however, remains a question mark following the departure of Bregman, whose five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs became official Wednesday.
Bregman, who was an All-Star in 2025, primarily batted second or third in Boston’s lineup, in addition to being a key clubhouse leader. He helped lead the Red Sox to an 89-73 record and their first playoff berth in four years.
“We’ll be open to any way to improve our team,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told MassLive in an email after Bregman’s departure but before the addition of Suarez.
“Free agency is an obvious path, but so are trades. We will try to continue to add offense, but leaning into pitching and defense is another way to boost our win total.”
The Suarez agreement marks the Red Sox’s biggest financial commitment since they traded slugger Rafael Devers — and the more than $250 million that was left on his contract — to the San Francisco Giants in June.
It’s unclear if the Suarez deal will preclude the Red Sox from pursuing free-agent All-Star infielder Bo Bichette, whom they have been linked to since Bregman’s exit.
