The Boston Red Sox have finally made their first free-agent signing of the offseason, and it's a big one.
According to multiple reports, the Red Sox are signing left-handed starter Ranger Suarez to a five-year, $130 million contract. The New York Post's Jon Heyman was first to report the move, while ESPN's Alden Gonzalez was first to report the terms of the deal, which includes no deferrals and no opt-outs.
Suarez, 30, has spent his entire eight-year big league career with the Philadelphia Phillies. Last season, he had a 12-8 record in 26 starts with a 3.20 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 157.1 innings. He was an All-Star in 2024 when he put up nearly identical numbers (12-8, 3.46 ERA, 145 strikeouts in 27 starts and 150.2 innings).
With Suarez in the fold, the Red Sox will enter the 2026 season with a starting rotation that will widely be regarded as one of the best in baseball. Suarez and fellow offseason addition Sonny Gray figure to slot into the two and three spots behind ace Garrett Crochet. Brayan Bello could be the four, and then the likes of Johan Oviedo, Kutter Crawford, Connelly Early, Payton Tolle and Patrick Sandoval will compete for starts behind that.
The Red Sox could still use another infield bat at second or third base to round out their offense after losing Alex Bregman, so now all eyes will turn to how or if they do that. But in the meantime, they have made a clear effort to double down on pitching and make that the strength of this team.