The Philadelphia Phillies are one of two NL East teams undergoing a significant roster reshaping this offseason, a process that won’t be easy as president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski looks to push the club beyond another early playoff exit in the National League Division Series. Philadelphia has several players set to hit free agency, including starting pitcher Ranger Suárez.
With Jesús Luzardo expected to take over as the primary left-handed option in the rotation, Suárez appears to be expendable. Ryan Finkelstein of Just Baseball recently projected that the veteran southpaw could land with a division rival, forecasting a five-year, $110 million contract with the Atlanta Braves.
“The Braves could use a steady presence in the middle of their rotation, and also could use a second lefty to pair with Chris Sale,” Finkelstein wrote Tuesday. “Likely priced out of the market for Framber Valdez, the Braves can shoot for Suarez, looking to poach from a division rival. Suarez fits in any rotation, giving him plenty of landing spots to choose from. You can make a case that Suarez should be the No. 1 priority for both the Braves and the Tigers this offseason; it is just a matter of which team aggressively bids to make it happen.”
A move to Atlanta would be a natural fit, as Suárez could team with Sale to give the Braves a formidable one-two punch atop the rotation. Adding two high-end left-handers would significantly strengthen Atlanta’s pitching staff as it looks to rebound from a disappointing 2025 campaign. A contract of that size would pay Suárez roughly $22 million per season.
The left-hander posted a 3.20 ERA across 26 starts for Philadelphia last year and could seamlessly continue his success within the NL East. Given the fit and the need, Atlanta appears to be an ideal destination for Suárez, and the Braves may be willing to go all out to lure him away from a divisional rival.