The Philadelphia Phillies appear prepared to move on from pitcher Ranger Suárez as he approaches free agency. With four strong arms already on the major-league staff and top prospect Andrew Painter rising as a potential frontline option, the team is expected to let Suárez depart.
Suárez is positioned to pursue a sizable contract from a top contender—likely one with deep pockets and a strong roster.
According to Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller, Suárez is projected to land a major deal this offseason, potentially a five-year, $115 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.
“These are the little things teams will be grappling with when trying to decide how heavily they’re willing to invest in Suárez and whether he’s going to be their opening day starter for the foreseeable future,” Miller wrote. “But with three of the five projections putting him at a $23M AAV, he could be an absolute steal if he continues to produce at the level that he has.
“Both Kevin Gausman (5 years, $110M) and Robbie Ray (5 years, $115M) got that type of money at the same age, and they each had a career ERA of almost exactly 4.00 when they signed. Suárez may well be better than both.”
The Cubs must reinforce their pitching staff this offseason, as it was one of their biggest shortcomings last year.
Shota Imanaga initially opted out of his deal but ultimately accepted the qualifying offer to remain with Chicago. Even so, the Cubs still need additional arms if they hope to be legitimate World Series contenders.
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