The Chicago Cubs have been extremely vocal this offseason about what they are prioritizing for their 2026 roster — starting pitchers. While they lost out on Dylan Cease, there are still quite a few elite arms that are up for grabs, one of which is Ranger Suárez.
MLB insider Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report played the role of matchmaker in his latest work, listing the top starting pitching free agents and their perfect fits, and he deemed the Cubs and Suárez a match for one another.
Why Suárez is a good fit
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Reuter made one point that is hard to overlook, saying “Ranger Suárez has been a groundball pitcher throughout his career, with a strong 52.0 percent groundball rate for his career, and that means a team with a strong defensive infield might be his ideal landing spot.”
It’s no secret the Cubs have one of the best defenses in baseball, which includes Gold Glove winner Nico Hoerner at second and finalist Matt Shaw at third in addition to Ian Happ and Pete Crow-Armstrong in the outfield.
While other teams would prefer a pitcher who has more air outs than ground, Craig Counsell is less worried about that because the Cubs are elite throughout the field.
What his career looked like
Ranger Suarez | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The 30-year-old has spent the entirety of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, but the general consensus is that he will not be staying with the team even though he has been the primary starter for the last four years.
During that time, he’s averaged 26 starts per season, posting a 3.62 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, along with 136 strikeouts (with a career high 151 in 2025). In the postseason he posted a 4-1 record with a 1.48 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, while holding opponents to a 2.03 batting average.
What does the 2026 rotation look like with Suárez?
If Suárez is locked down by the team, then their starting rotation could be one of the best in baseball, as long as Shota Imanaga can get back to his old form.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Cade HortonRanger SuárezMatthew BoydShota Imanaga Justin Steele (estimated return for the second half)
With the Suárez addition, it would arguably move Colin Rea into more of a swingman position or perhaps even into the bullpen, depending on how the rotation above are performing.
Management is aggressively pursuing another elite arm, and it is hard to ignore that Suárez could be a missing piece to their World Series puzzle.
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