Ranger Suarez Declined Lucrative Orioles Offer, per Insider

Heading into the most recent MLB offseason, Baltimore Orioles President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias had a three-part wish list of player types he wanted to acquire in the winter.

One of them was a back-end reliever, preferably someone with experience as a closer. Baltimore quickly accomplished this by signing Ryan Helsley, who had been one of baseball's best closers for the St. Louis Cardinals for the past several seasons.

Another part of Elias' wishlist was acquiring a veteran hitter, preferably one who could fit into the outfield. This was accomplished when he traded for former Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward in exchange for right-handed pitcher Greyson Rodriguez. But Elias made an even bigger splash in terms of adding a veteran bat to the lineup when he signed Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal in free agency.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

That leaves the third item on Elias' wish list: adding a frontline starting pitcher. While the Orioles did secure crucial depth to their rotation by re-signing Zach Eflin, trading for Shane Baz, and signing Chris Bassitt in free agency, none of these arms can be considered ace-caliber.

But this wish not coming true can't be owed to Elias. It has been reported that the Orioles were "in" in secveral of the top free agent starting pitchers before they ultimately signed elsewhere.

The one that Baltimore seemingly had the most interest in was former Philadelphia Phillies southpaw Ranger Suarez, who ultimately signed a 5-year, $130 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Ranger Suarez Reportedly Declined Orioles' Free Agency Offer

Details regarding the Orioles' offer were revealed in a March 5 article from Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Heyman said that the Orioles were believed to offer slightly less than the Red Sox, coming in at $125 million.

Orioles offered Ranger Suarez 5/125 and he said no😂😂 pic.twitter.com/DRztqx4FEa
— AdleyMuse (@AdleyMuse) March 6, 2026

While this might seem like an indictment on the Orioles, one can't blame Suarez for accepting a bigger contract with the Red Sox (even if it was for only $1 million more per year).

The silver lining is that this contract offer to Suarez shows that Elias was willing to put his money where his mouth was when it came to bringing an ace-caliber starting pitcher to his team before the 2026 season began.

It also suggests that Elias might get aggressive when it comes to pursuing an ace starting pitcher via trade during the season if that becomes a clear need for the Orioles.

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