Ranger Suarez could replace what Imanaga brought to Chicago |
Dustin Riese
· · 16 hours ago
By now, it has become abundantly clear what the Cubs' Free Agent plans are expected to be. As much as everyone would love for them to go out and spend money like the Los Angeles Dodgers, that just isn't in their DNA, and it's painful to admit that for a big market team.
For whatever reason, the Cubs' front office has chosen to operate more like a small market team, as opposed to the large market they are, and fans have become extremely irritated by that approach. Sure, there are some cases like this past season where that approach has worked, but for an organization that has insisted on long-term success, you need to spend money to get to the level you want to be at long term. Even if the Cubs refuse to spend the money that some of these teams do, they will, at the very least, do what they can to improve their roster in some aspect. One of the biggest needs for this team heading into the offseason is the starting rotation, and that need has become even more pressing since declining Shota Imanaga's option. Sure, bringing Colin Rea back is a nice insurance policy, but do the Cubs really expect him to produce at the level he did a season ago? Even if he does, he is nothing more than a back-of-the-rotation arm, and the Cubs have enough of those arms in the rotation. What they don't have is another middle-of-the-rotation arm that could wind up being a top-of-the-rotation arm, so why not look at a pitcher like Ranger Suarez? Fresh off another strong season, Suarez not only fits the Cubs mold of a young arm (29 years old), but he is also a left-handed starter who could essentially replace what Imanaga gave this team. In an era where teams thrive on high-velocity and overpowering arms, Suarez is not that guy, and realistically, when you look at the Cubs' rotation, they are the one team that doesn't focus on velocity. Instead, the Cubs look for pitchers who are strike throwers and pitch contact, as they have the defense that can make the plays behind their pitcher. Suarez is another one of those soft-tossing arms the Cubs love, but he is a great pitcher and one who would love pitching at Wrigley if the weather is in his favor. Typically, a guy who sits in the 93 MPH range with his fastball, Suarez can rush it up there at 95 MPH on occasions, but those occasions are few and far between. He mixes that fastball with an elite 87 MPH breaking ball, along with a change-up, as he has emerged as one of the better three-pitch guys in the game. Although not known as an ace, Suarez has pitched as close to an Ace as one can get and is coming off a career-best season in 2025 with the Phillies. Across 26 starts this past season, Suarez threw a career high 157 innings and did so while posting a 3.20 ERA. He did that while walking 38 batters, striking out 151, and posting a 12-8 record. That marks back-to-back 12-8 seasons for Suarez, who has posted a 3.31 combined ERA in those seasons. Part of the Phillies since the 2018 season, Suarez wasn't seen as a starter since the 2021 season, but it was the 2022 season when he became a full-time arm in their rotation. Since his debut, Suarez has appeared in 187 games (119 starts), establishing himself as a fixture in their rotation over the past four seasons. In those 187 games, Suarez has gone 53-37 with an impressive 3.38 ERA, which goes to show how good he has been since making the move to become a full-time starter. If there is one concern with Suarez, it's the minor injury issues he has had, as he has yet to reach the 30-start mark and hasn't hit 160 innings at any point in his career. Although that is a concern, it's a minor concern as his numbers and success speak for themselves. What makes Suarez the perfect fit for the Cubs is that he may not be an elite strikeout pitcher, but he is one of the better ground-ball pitchers in the game, with a ground-ball rate greater than 52%. He also has a barrel rate of just 5.7%, and that alone makes him the perfect fit for what the Cubs front office likes to target when evaluating starting arms. As expected, the financial side of things will be the hang-up, but with a projected deal of five years and $115 million, Suarez would align perfectly with the Cubs' financial plans and provide a solid rotation piece to build around for the next few years.
