BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have agreed to a five-year contract worth $130 million with left-handed pitcher Ranger Suárez, a source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday, strengthening the team’s rotation following their unsuccessful pursuit of third baseman Alex Bregman.
The deal includes no opt-outs or deferred money, according to multiple reports. Suárez, 30, joins a Red Sox rotation that now features left-hander Garrett Crochet and right-handers Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello and Johan Oviedo, giving Boston one of the deepest starting pitching staffs in the American League.
Suárez has been a reliable presence for the Philadelphia Phillies since converting to a full-time starting role in 2021, posting a 3.25 ERA over the past five seasons despite declining fastball velocity. The Venezuelan left-hander went 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA last season, setting career highs with 151 strikeouts and 157 innings pitched across 26 starts. His fastball velocity has dropped from 93.4 mph to 91.2 mph over the past three seasons, yet his performance has improved, with his Wins Above Replacement climbing from 2.4 to 4.0 during that span.
“Suárez is about as good as it gets for a pitcher who’s neither a true innings eater nor a frontline, high-strikeout arm,” according to baseball analytics. The lefty led all MLB starters with a 31.1 percent hard-hit rate allowed in 2025, demonstrating elite command and ability to induce soft contact. He relies on a six-pitch repertoire including a sinker, changeup, cutter, curveball, four-seam fastball and slider to overcome his below-average velocity.
Suárez has also excelled in postseason competition, owning a 1.48 ERA across 11 playoff appearances, including eight starts. He pitched five innings of one-run ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2025 National League Division Series. The Phillies extended a qualifying offer of $22.025 million to Suárez following the season, which he declined. Because he signed with a new team, Philadelphia will receive a compensatory draft pick after the fourth round.
The signing represents a significant response from Boston after losing Bregman to the Chicago Cubs earlier this week. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow had indicated in November that the team was seeking to bolster the front end of their rotation while maintaining depth throughout the staff. Suárez signed with Philadelphia as an international free agent from Venezuela in 2012 and made his major league debut in 2018, spending his first four seasons primarily as a reliever before transitioning to the rotation.
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Hannah Price is a digital journalist who covers breaking news, global events, and trending stories with accuracy and speed. She has previously contributed to several online magazines and has built a reputation for verifying facts before publishing. Hannah believes in responsible reporting and aims to present stories in a way that readers can trust.
