Red Sox's $130 Million Ranger Suárez Signing Came With Hidden Cost

Boston changed up its approach...

Aug 12, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) walks off the field during a pitching change in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox finally did something uncomfortable, which was one of the main things the fan base had been begging them to do.

On Wednesday, four days after former Red Sox third baseman spurned his old team's offer for a more lucrative one with the Chicago Cubs, Boston finally made its first free-agent splash of the offseason. According to numerous reports, the Red Sox agreed to a five-year, $130 million deal with All-Star left-hander Ranger Suárez.

It wasn't just refreshing to see the Red Sox finally sign someone. It was a true big-money deal, their first five-year agreement in three years and their largest overall free-agent deal in four years. But it also comes with additional hidden costs.

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Ranger Suárez was hit with qualifying offer

Because Suárez was one of nine free agents this year who declined a qualifying offer from their former teams, the Red Sox will pay a fairly steep penalty for signing him. That penalty is increased by their status as luxury tax payors, a threshold they narrowly exceeded last season.

Boston will forfeit its second- and fifth-round picks in the Major League Baseball Draft this July. They will also lose $1 million in international signing bonus pool money. Those figures were confirmed by MassLive's Sean McAdam on Wednesday.

Another reason Suárez's deal made signing Bo Bichette less likely for Boston, in addition to the fact that it would push the projected luxury tax payroll into the $300 million range for the first time in franchise history, is that Bichette also rejected the qualifying offer. He'd cost Boston its third- and sixth-round picks, plus another $1 million in bonus pool space.

The Philadelphia Phillies, meanwhile, will receive a compensatory draft pick after the fourth round of the upcoming draft. They were above the third luxury tax threshold this past season.

Quite obviously, the Red Sox felt all the costs, both up front and hidden, were worth it to nab a pitcher of Suárez's caliber. He'll form a fearsome rotation alongside Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, and Johan Oviedo to begin the year, barring more moves.

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