Red Sox's Ranger Suárez Signing May Have Consequences For Young Pitchers

The top of the Boston Red Sox's rotation suddenly looks quite appealing.

On Wednesday, the Red Sox reportedly agreed to a five-year, $130 million contract with left-hander Ranger Suárez, formerly an All-Star with the Philadelphia Phillies. Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported the agreement. The deal marked a significant pivot away from Alex Bregman, but also comes with obvious ramifications.

Boston was already set to have a tough competition for spots in the opening day rotation. Now, with Suárez joining fellow newcomers Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo as options behind ace Garrett Crochet, something has to give.

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Will Red Sox trade another potential starter?

One can't help but notice that the Red Sox's rotation, if everyone is healthy, is now too crowded to give all the homegrown pitchers a fair shake. If we assume Brayan Bello will take the final remaining slot, that leaves rookie left-handers Payton Tolle and Connelly Early out in the cold.

Obviously, pitching depth is important in this modern MLB. Early and Tolle were in Double-A and High-A to start last year, and by the end of the season, both were on the playoff roster, in large part due to injuries.

With that said, Boston's obvious need for infielders in the wake of Bregman's departure, combined with their surplus of young pitchers, makes trade speculation obvious from this point forward.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner seems like an obvious potential target to watch. Ditto for Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, who is something of an extra piece now that Carlos Correa has taken over his old position.

Perhaps the Red Sox will even feel emboldened to take another pass at Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. General manager Mike Hazen declared him off the market last week, but it's possible Boston's reluctance to trade either Tolle or Early for Marte was a reason Hazen did so.

Could Boston simply ignore all of that and sign a free agent to address the offense? Possibly, but outside of Eugenio Suárez, who is 34 and doesn't play even average defense, there aren't many obvious targets anymore.

The Suárez agreement, aside from the obvious excitement behind finally making a splash in free agency, puts a lot of options on the table. It's up to the Red Sox to capitalize on that momentum.

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