So here we are, talking about Ranger Suárez again — not because he’s flashy, not because he went viral, not because he’s hurling 101 MPH or bat-flipping his glove. No, we’re here because once again, the softest-spoken guy in the clubhouse is making the loudest case for why the Phillies absolutely, positively cannot let him go.
And yet? They just might.
On Tuesday night, Suárez spun yet another gem: seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 loss, dropping his ERA to 2.08 over 10 starts. That’s not a typo. That’s not small-sample noise. That’s Ranger Suárez being Ranger Suárez, changing speeds, working five pitches, turning every left-handed hitter into mush, and making the fielding side of pitching look like a Gold Glove clinic.
Oh, and just in case you forgot: he owns a 1.43 ERA in the postseason across 37 2/3 innings. You want nerves of steel? Ranger delivers it in Spanish and sign language.
But now comes the part no one wants to talk about: he’s a free agent at year’s end.
Suárez is finishing out a one-year, $8.8 million arbitration deal. Spotrac projects he’ll fetch 3 years, $45 million in free agency. That’s cute. In the real world, where Jordan Montgomery gets $25 million per year and any playoff-tested lefty with control and command gets premium dollars, Ranger could realistically be looking at $60 to $75 million, if not more.
Here’s the rub: the Phillies also have Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto hitting the open market. And with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Nola already earning Monopoly money, something’s got to give.
Unless Dave Dombrowski and John Middleton find another yacht full of cash, they can’t keep all three.
And yet... letting Suárez walk? That’s not a baseball decision. That’s a gamble. Because once you lose Suárez, you’re not just losing a starter. You’re losing the calm heartbeat of a rotation built for October. You’re betting your postseason future on Andrew Painter’s elbow and Mick Abel’s command.
Zack Wheeler may be the ace. Aaron Nola may be the workhorse. But Suárez is the stabilizer. The failsafe. The glue guy. The one who doesn’t get rattled, doesn’t beat himself, and always — always — shows up when it matters.
If you don’t believe that, ask the Braves. Or the Padres. Or the Astros.
You want a No. 3 who pitches like a No. 1 in October? You want a pitcher who fields like a shortstop, works like a craftsman, and smiles like he knows something you don’t? You want Ranger Suárez.
There’s no easy answer here. Schwarber is the emotional epicenter of the clubhouse. Realmuto is still one of the best all-around catchers in the game. But Suárez? He’s the guy who quietly wins the games that matter.
And if the Phillies let him walk, they better be damn sure that Painter and Abel are ready — because otherwise, they’ll spend the next few Octobers watching someone else get the most out of the most underrated arm in baseball.
