Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
As MLB free agency fully gets going, there are multiple teams across the league that need help in the bullpen. This could see teams enter into bidding wars for the available players, and there may be a lot of movement across baseball.
One name that seems to be getting forgotten this offseason is veteran relief pitcher Robert Suarez of the San Diego Padres. Suarez has been one of the better relief pitchers in the sport over the past few years, and he is due to land a nice contract on the open market.
Suarez is coming off consecutive seasons where he put up a sub-3.00 ERA, while also pitching at least 65 innings. The veteran also led the National League with 40 saves this year, showing a shutdown type of ability.
Teams can be wary of handing out large contracts to relief pitchers, especially because of how fickle they can be year-to-year. But Suarez has been especially consistent, and he has proven that he can handle the pressure of late-game situations.
This past season, Suarez posted a strikeout rate of 27.9 percent this year, and he cut his walk rate down greatly. The veteran isn’t expected to return to San Diego, which now opens the door for other teams to get into the mix.
But where Suarez will sign remains to be seen, even though he could be one of the steals from this free agent class.
This is just a prediction, NOT a report!
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Robert Suarez Will Join Miami Marlins
One of the more underrated options for Suarez could be the Miami Marlins. During the General Manager meetings, the Marlins reportedly showed an interest in adding multiple pieces to the bullpen.
This team came within a few games of making the playoffs this year, even though there weren’t many who expected them to compete. With this, the Marlins could look to be aggressive in how they approach the offseason, and if they could add someone like Suarez, it could round everything out.
The Marlins don’t typically spend a lot of money in free agency, but Suarez could be a massive difference-maker for them. Suarez likely wants to go somewhere where he can be the closer, and the Marlins could be just the place.
The veteran relief pitcher would also get a chance to play for a team that will be contending for the playoffs. Miami feels like a team on the come-up, and Suarezx could be part of the group that helps them get back to the postseason.
This could be one of the best landing spots for the veteran, and playing in a city like Miami tends to be interesting for players. All in all, Miami could be a real wild-card in free agency this year, and Suarez would be a massive addition for this team.