If the Phillies hope to keep LHP Ranger Suárez in red pinstripes beyond 2024, they're likely going to have to outbid other teams in free agency next winter.
Ahead of his contract year, Suárez has hired Scott Boras as his agent, the Boras Corporation announced on Instagram:
Ranger Suarez has changed agents and is now represented by Scott Boras.
Suarez will be a free agent at the end of the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/ztFLG8RLuG
Boras is the most powerful agent in baseball, and has already negotiated monster contracts for Juan Soto and Blake Snell this offseason. Boras represents Bryce Harper, having negotiated a 13-year/$330 million contract in free agency prior to the 2019 season for arguably his most notable client. Other Phillies represented by Boras are Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Taijuan Walker, Garrett Stubbs and Andrew Painter. Boras was Nick Castellanos' agent when he signed a five-year/$100 million deal to join the Phillies prior to the 2022 season, although his wife revealed on X earlier this offseason that he's no longer represented by Boras.
Suárez signing with Boras signals that he's going to chase a top-of-the-market contract next offseason, and likely test free agency. Love or hate Boras, he usually does pretty well for his clients, who almost always reach the open market.
For what it's worth, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said multiple times that the organization has interest in retaining Suárez for the long haul, as noted by Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation.
“We like Ranger a lot,” Dombrowski said in October. “We liked the Ranger of the first half of the season better than the second half. There was a lot that was involved in that from his own perspective, but he’s a good pitcher. We’re all very open-minded to having Ranger in the organization for a long time.”
It will be interesting to see whether the Phillies make a push to keep Suárez next offseason, or allow him to leave for draft compensation when he rejects a qualifying offer. At his best, he's an All-Star caliber starter who is one of the better fielding pitchers in the sport. But he's never made more than 29 starts in a season, and Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported earlier this month that the Phillies were willing to consider trading Suárez this offseason. Pulling the trigger on a trade feels unlikely, especially since Garrett Crochet ultimately went elsewhere. But it may signal that the Phillies have some reservations in committing to the 29-year-old Suárez for an extended period.
Phillies asked for Mason Miller when A's called on Alec Bohm, according to @Ken_Rosenthal.
Analysis at @OnPattison: https://t.co/jGoRSP2yfF
