The Boston Red Sox have responded to losing Alex Bregman by beefing up their starting rotation.
Boston agreed to a five-year, $130-million contract with free-agent left-hander Ranger Suárez, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
The contract - Boston's first big-league free-agent deal handed out this offseason - doesn't contain any deferrals and or opt-outs, Nightengale adds. He didn't receive a no-trade clause either, according to MassLive's Chris Cotillo.
Suárez heads to the AL East after spending his first eight major-league seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. He also reportedly drew interest from the Baltimore Orioles before ultimately landing in Beantown.
The 30-year-old is coming off an excellent 2025 campaign. He posted a 3.20 ERA, 3.21 FIP, and 1.22 WHIP along with a career-high 151 strikeouts while issuing just 38 walks and allowing only 14 homers in 157 1/3 innings. However, he was limited to just 26 regular-season starts because of a back issue.
Suárez has never lit up the radar gun, possessing a fastball that averaged 91.3 mph last year, and he hasn't ranked above the 44th percentile in velocity overall. He's risen to stardom as a master of control, utilizing a six-pitch arsenal headlined by a devastating sinker that ties hitters in knots and effectively limits the long ball.
He has also excelled when the lights are brightest. Suárez, who became a postseason star in Philadelphia, sports a lifetime 1.48 ERA with 44 strikeouts over 11 playoff appearances since 2022.
Still, a few concerning signs emerged during his 2025 campaign. Suárez's average fastball velocity has dropped nearly two full miles per hour since 2023, while his opponents' average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage ranked in the 95th percentile or higher last season. Additionally, since becoming a full-time starter, he hasn't made more than 29 starts in a year because of recurring back and hamstring issues.
Suárez deepens the Red Sox rotation overall behind ace Garrett Crochet, adding another proven arm alongside offseason trade additions Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, plus right-hander Brayan Bello. Patrick Sandoval and Kutter Crawford are also expected to return from injuries at some point in 2026.
With Suárez solidifying the rotation, Boston can now give its full attention to replacing Bregman's bat in the lineup. The Red Sox had been pushing hard to retain Bregman before he opted to join the Chicago Cubs on a five-year deal reportedly worth more than what Boston had offered.
Adding Suarez's $26M AAV to the payroll, Boston's CBT number moved up to a projected ~$268.9M.
— Red Sox Payroll (@redsoxpayroll) January 14, 2026
That's $24.90M over the 1st CBA threshold and $4.90M over the 2nd.
That hops them up to 6th in MLB and would be their highest CBT payroll of all time.
Roster is still incomplete.
The Red Sox have been connected to Bo Bichette, although he appears to be seeking a longer-term deal. They've reportedly shown interest in Eugenio Suárez as a potential short-term solution at the hot corner as well. Slugger Willson Contreras, one of the Red Sox significant trade additions this winter, said Wednesday that he's hoping to recruit the power-hitting third baseman, who he called a "really close" friend, according MassLive's Christopher Smith.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, will receive a draft pick after the fourth round of the 2026 draft as compensation for the southpaw's signing in Boston, according to MLB Pipeline. Suárez became tied to draft-pick compensation after rejecting the Phillies' qualifying offer in November.
