Despite second-half struggles, Phillies maintain their stance on Ranger Suarez extension

The Phillies do not have to devote significant resources to the starting rotation this offseason. All four of the team’s top starters, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez, are under contract through 2025. Three of the four have signed new deals within the last calendar year. 

Suárez could be next.

The 29-year-old lefty, who is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2025 season, appeared to be on the verge of a massive payday in the first half of 2024. He won 10 of his first 13 starts and posted a 1.83 ERA from Opening Day to June 25. 

But Suárez could not sustain that level of production. He gave up a combined 15 earned runs in his last three starts before the All-Star break. Those struggles were attributed to back issues, which led him to miss the All-Star Game. Suárez eventually landed on the IL on July 27 with low back soreness. 

He returned a month later. After a decent first start back in Kansas City, Suárez’s struggles continued. He didn’t have the same velocity or command that he had at the beginning of the season post-injury and finished the year with a 6.49 ERA in his last six starts. 

There were real concerns about Suárez’s readiness as the team’s Game 4 starter, but the Phillies got a gutsy outing out of him in the NLDS, leaning on the curveball to strike out eight over 4 1/3 innings. 

In June, when Suárez looked like a legitimate National League Cy Young contender, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski expressed interest in signing Suárez to a new deal. “We would definitely like to have Ranger with us for a long time,” Dombrowski told Phillies Nation. 

Dombrowski was asked again on Tuesday about a potential Suárez extension and whether or not the organization would like to take a wait-and-see approach after Suárez’s second-half struggles. 

“We like Ranger a lot,” Dombrowski said at his end-of-season press conference. “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.” 

If both sides decide to wait another year, 2025 will be a crucial year for Suárez. He proved in the first half of 2024 that he’s capable of pitching like an ace. Staying healthy and sustaining success over an entire season is the next step. It could be the difference between Suárez signing for around $150 million, or taking a shorter term deal with opt outs. 

Or the Phillies could meet Suárez in the middle and solidify the top four of the rotation for years to come.

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