Red Sox Fans Should Love Ranger Suárez Pickup For One Simple Reason

Hint: the reason starts with a one as well

Sep 9, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suárez (55) in the dugout after pitching the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Ranger Suárez was hardly the first free agent who came to mind as a pivot for the Boston Red Sox, but it makes sense in hindsight.

According to multiple reports, including the New York Post's Jon Heyman, the Red Sox and Suárez agreed to a five-year, $130 million contract on Wednesday. It was Boston's first free-agent signing of the winter, and it came across as an obvious backup plan brought on by the sting of losing All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs.

Suárez isn't an ace like his new Red Sox teammate Garrett Crochet, but at his best, he can be a very solid No. 2 option, or at the very least, a well-above-average No. 3. And that potential impact he'd make on the regular season could pale in comparison to what he'd do if the Red Sox made it back to October.

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Ranger Suárez has been incredible in October

If a Red Sox fan was looking for a reason to buy in on Suárez after the deal, they should look no further than the "postseason" tab on his stat page. It's beautiful to observe, and it also illustrates why chief baseball officer Craig Breslow may have been willing to offer him a fairly big deal compared to his overall track record.

In 11 postseason outings, eight of which were starts, Suárez has pitched to a 1.48 ERA across 42 2/3 innings. He's got a 4-1 record, including a win in his lone playoff start last year against the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The one loss he took came in 2023 in the National League Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Though Suárez has never gone more than five innings in a postseason outing, run prevention takes precedent above all.

We're a long way from talking about the Red Sox in a playoff series this year, but if they get there, having Suárez ready to start a game, then potentially pitch out of the bullpen later in the series seems like a strong possibility.

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