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Boston Red Sox interested in free agent pitcher Ranger Suarez
There has been a ton of speculation surrounding the Boston Red Sox regarding the offseason. Between losing out on Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber, and recently Alex Bregman, no one knows what the plan is for the Red Sox as they navigate an offseason that’s been head-scratching. Following the Bregman news, they’ve been linked to Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals, Nico Hoerner of the Chicago Cubs, and free agent Eugenio Suárez.
Furthermore, the Red Sox have reportedly been interested in “doubling down” on shoring up their rotation ahead of the 2026 season. Whether that comes from a trade or free agency, it seems the Red Sox are trying to find some path to bolster the roster before the start of Spring Training. If they are interested in starting pitching, who are the two main targets that they’ve been reportedly “in” on?
Red Sox “High” on LHP Ranger Suarez
GettyBoston Red Sox interested in free agent pitcher Ranger Suarez
One name that has come up recently is free agent LHP Ranger Suarez. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, he’s heard that some within the Boston organization are “high” on the 30-year-old Venezuelan left-hander. He goes on to mention, “Another possibility for the Red Sox, according to people briefed on their thinking, is to continue loading up on pitching….Some in the organization also are high on free-agent left-hander Ranger Suárez, whose market remains unclear.”
If Suarez is considered one of the options for the Red Sox, he wouldn’t be a bad option as a possible No. 2 behind Garrett Crochet. During the 2025 season with the Philadelphia Phillies, Suarez finished with a 12-8 record in 26 starts, striking out 151 (career high) in 157.1 innings, walking 38, and a137 ERA+. He also had a 3.20 ERA and a 4.7 wins above replacement (WAR).
Currently, Spotrac has Suarez projected to sign a five-year, $146.1M deal, with an AAV of $29.2M per season. They also state his market value to be around six years, $161.5M, with an AAV of $26.9M. If the Red Sox are willing to give Suarez five years, they would have to up the AAV on the shorter deal. However, if they are eager to provide the 30-year-old for six years, it could drop the AAV from $29.2M to $26.9M. It all comes down to what they’re comfortable with. After that, do they slot him in as the No. 2 to go with back-to-back lefties in the rotation, or use him as the 2B option behind Sonny Gray as the 2A to go lefity-righty-lefty?
Suarez could be a good option as he’s gone 12-8 the last two seasons and saw his ERA drop from 3.46 in 2024 to 3.20 in 2025. Furthermore, his WAR went from 2.7 to 4.7. If the Red Sox are looking to double down on the rotation and not give up more prospects, Ranger Suarez is a possible option going into 2026.
Willing to Trade for Freddy Peralta?
GettyRed Sox interested in Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta
The other rotation arm that the Red Sox have been interested in for a while now is right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta. Back on Dec. 10, Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that the Red Sox are one of the teams “in on” Milwaukee Brewers’ Peralta.
They went on to say that, “The Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros are among the teams in on Peralta, according to people familiar with the Brewers’ discussion.” Peralta could be another solid option, and someone who would fit easily as the No. 2 behind Crochet. That could be a 1-2 LHP-RHP combo to give the Red Sox an advantage in a series.
Peralta in 2025 with the Brewers went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA, striking out 204 in 176.2 innings through 33 starts, and finished with a 5.5 WAR. What makes him a more intriguing option for the Red Sox is that he is set to earn just $8 million in 2026. However, ht will be a free agent going into 2027. The hope is that if they trade for him, they can finalize an extension just as they did for Crochet in December of 2024.
The problem becomes, who do they let go for Peralta? Most likely, it could involve one of their outfielders as they are still logjammed at the position. The trade package could also include some prospects as well to add sweeteners to the deal. Either way, the Red Sox will have to get creative to trade for Peralta, then sign him afterwards to keep him in Boston past the ’26 season.
Whether it comes down to either Suarez or Peralta, if the Red Sox are really “doubling down” on pitching, they need to grab one of these two guys. The path will be interesting since it’ll either involve just money or assets being traded to require a bona fide No.2 starter in the rotation. It just comes down to which path they choose. That said, they need to choose one and soon.
Zach Martin Zach Martin is a sports journalist covering the MLB, mainly the Boston Red Sox, for Heavy.com. He has over four years of journalism experience, and five years of podcasting experience. He’s a credentialed Carolina Hurricanes beat writer at The Hockey Writers. Zach’s previously covered the Cleveland Guardians at Covering the Corner, along with the Guardians and the Cincinnati Reds at Fansided. Zach is originally from Ravenna, Ohio, and is now based in Lexington, SC. More about Zach Martin
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