The Philadelphia Phillies are facing the increasingly difficult scenario of trying to retain their free agents this winter. The 2025 offseason is shaping up to be a landscape-changing one for the franchise, with a number of their top players potentially leaving in the next couple of months as the club also gets another year older.
Left-handed starter Ranger Suárez is one of those players, and there's a real chance he could be wearing another uniform in 2026.
Suárez has been with the Phillies since he signed as a 16-year-old international free agent out of Venezuela. He's only known Philadelphia as his home at the MLB level, but his free agency could lead him elsewhere and he could join reliever Jeff Hoffman north of the border.
Ranger Suárez could end up joining Blue Jays, Jeff Hoffman in free agency
According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Suárez will be a top name to watch in the free agent market. Feinsand labeled the Blue Jays, where Hoffman is currently playing, as one of Suárez's potential fits.
Hoffman walked in free agency last offseason and after an injury debacle he eventually landed in Toronto on a three-year, $33 million deal. Hoffman is now the closer for the World Series-contending Blue Jays in his first year.
The Blue Jays will be hungry for starting pitching in the offseason. They're set to potentially say goodbye to pending veteran free agents Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber (who has a player option for 2026 but will likely test the market).
Suárez was an All-Star in 2024 and had all the makings of it in 2025 with a 12-8 record and a 3.20 ERA across 26 starts. Suárez has been a crowd favorite in Philadelphia and has been one of the most underrated pitchers in the franchise's history, with a career 3.38 ERA in eight seasons. He recently took on Scott Boras as his agent, anticipating maximizing his value.
Feinsand explains that the 30-year-old would be more suited as a No. 2 or No. 3 starter than a No. 1 and that's perfectly fair. There has been concern for years over Suárez's durability over a full season, but the Phillies will have payroll and roster limitations regardless. There won't be enough starts to give Suárez on top of the potential debut of top pitching prospect Andrew Painter.
The Phillies will likely be putting more emphasis on trying to re-sign Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto. It will be tough to accept watching Suárez walk, and it'll be even tougher to watch him potentially have immediate success like Hoffman has in Toronto.
Phillies fans knew this was a possibility, with none of the team's impending free agents re-signing before the season began. Suárez has been a beloved Phillie and will have his moments cherished, but fans should prepare just in case.