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By Aaliyan Mohammed
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the best starting rotations in baseball, and their top prospect, right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter, is on the brink of making his MLB debut.
Painter will need a spot in the Phillies' star-studded rotation. That is not good news for Ranger Suárez, who is a free agent. The Phillies already have Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker. Suárez will command a lucrative deal, and the Phillies may not want to pay it, having other needs to address. The rotation is in great shape, even without Suárez.
Suárez should have no trouble finding a team. Plenty of contenders are looking for starting pitchers. MLB analyst Ben Verlander predicted Suárez would sign with the Chicago Cubs.
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The Cubs will have Shōta Imanaga back after he accepted the qualifying offer. They should also be getting Justin Steele back. Those two, along with Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton, make up one of the best groups of starting pitchers in baseball. Boyd, Imanaga and Steele are All-Stars and Horton was the National League Rookie of the Year runner-up. Adding Suárez could help the Cubs surpass the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.
Suárez was an All-Star in 2024 and improved his ERA last season. He had a 3.20 ERA in 26 starts and struck out a career high 151 batters. He would be a great addition to the Cubs' starting rotation. If the Cubs lose Imanaga next offseason, they could be content knowing they got Suárez this winter.
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