The Atlanta Braves shocked a lot of teams after going out and making a splash in free agency for closer Robert Suárez (subscription required) on Thursday. The Braves, who always keep their cards close to the vest, seemingly came out of nowhere to lock up one of the best relief arms in baseball. Pairing Suárez with Raisel Iglesias at the back end of their bullpen is a massive addition that will give the Philadelphia Phillies' offense some additional trouble next season.
The Braves and Suárez reportedly agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal. The Braves had been operating in almost complete silence this offseason, but just stole one of the biggest bullpen pieces available. It also subsequently lef the Phillies with one less option of their own.
Edwin Díaz left the New York Mets for the Los Angeles Dodgers, so Suárez's market was sure to heat up. The signing will challenge the Phillies' lineup to step up in their head-to-head matchups in 2026.
Phillies' lineup has to be ready to defend NL East crown after Braves' Robert Suárez addition
The Phillies have won back-to-back NL East titles, while the other division rivals have toiled. The Braves are coming off their first losing season in eight years, so some hunger is to be expected.
Suárez finished the 2025 season with a 2.97 ERA and an NL-leading 40 saves with the San Diego Padres. The 34-year-old is also a two-time All-Star, both coming in the previous two seasons. Suárez joins Iglesias, who threw to a 3.21 ERA in 2025. Iglesias agreed to a one-year deal with the Braves earlier this offseason. When the Braves' starting rotation is also fully healthy, that's another problem to worry about.
The Phillies do have Kyle Schwarber back along with most of the core, currently. The Phillies fended off the Braves' bullpen before, so optimism still lies with the Phillies bats to get the job done. Guys like Schwarber and Bryce Harper led the Phillies as an offensive threat, which led them to the fourth-best OPS as a team this past season.
Only five relievers have a WHIP below 1.00 since 2022 with a minimum of 200 innings pitched. The Braves now have two of those pitchers from a list that includes Tyler Holton (0.89), Emmanuel Clase (0.91), Jason Adam (0.94), Iglesias (0.96) and Suárez (0.98).
In 2025, the Braves were just ahead of the Phillies when it came to bullpen ERA at 4.19. Make no mistake, the Phillies will have to work a little more to get through a rougher inning, but they also know that Suárez isn't untouchable. Some Phillies fans may even remember Game 5 of the 2022 NLCS, in which Harper took Suárez deep to send them to the World Series.