2 Possible Landing Spots For Ranger Suárez Outside Of Philadelphia

The market will be competitive for the veteran lefty.

Sep 27, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Ranger Suarez had another strong year for the Philadelphia Phillies, but is now a free agent after going 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA in 26 starts. He’ll be one of the top starting pitchers available this winter. Jon Heyman of the New York Post predicts he'll receive a five-year, $135 million contract.

A lot of teams will be interested in the veteran left-hander, and his price tag will be high. He could return to the Phillies, but his market will be competitive, even for big-market teams.

With that in mind, here are two ballclubs that could use starting pitching and could benefit from having Suarez’s experience present in their rotations in 2026 and beyond.

San Diego Padres

Oct 1, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Padres would be an interesting fit after Dylan Cease became a free agent. Since he may not return and also had a down season, the Padres would be wise to look into Suarez.

In addition to Cease, Michael King is a free agent and Yu Darvish is out for all of 2026, so the Padres are going to have to spend some money in free agency. But Joe Musgrove will be back, and having him and Suarez atop the rotation could give San Diego a completely different look for next season and help them get back to the postseason for the fifth time in the last seven years.

They have money to spend, and they would be wise to use it on a pitcher like Suarez.

Chicago Cubs

Oct 6, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers during game two of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Cubs surprised everybody when they declined Shota Imanaga’s option for the final two years of his contract. But don’t be surprised if they try to spend money in free agency.

With Imanaga possibly gone, they could look into Suarez. He provides the postseason experience that a team like the Cubs would be looking for, and could anchor the rotation along with Justin Steele, who should be back to full strength by 2026.

If the Cubs can’t Imanaga back, Suarez could be the perfect replacement as they try to build off of their first postseason appearance since 2020. They may not keep Kyle Tucker either, but they can at least make up for it by adding a top pitcher to their mix and gearing up for another October run in 2026.

It will be interesting to see how the Cubs approach the offseason, but Suarez would be a good fit for a team that needs pitching to go deeper.

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