rewrite this title Phillies expected to lose Ranger Suarez in free agency

The Phillies are facing some mammoth free-agent decisions this winter, but they apparently have made up their mind about starting pitcher Ranger Suarez.

Philadelphia has “made it clear they do not expect to be bidding” for the 2024 All-Star on the open market, according to a report in The Athletic.

Suarez finished 12-8 for the second consecutive season this year, and the 30-year-old lefty could command a nine-figure contract after posting a 3.20 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 157 1/3 innings over 26 starts.

With ace Zack Wheeler not expected to be ready by Opening Day after undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in September, the Phillies currently have a rotation consisting of Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, Jesus Luzardo, Taijuan Walker and prospect Andrew Painter.

They could also add another back-end starter this winter if Suarez signs elsewhere.

“I can’t say we wouldn’t,” team president Dave Dombrowski told reporters at the GM meetings in Las Vegas. “But again, it’s not our highest priority… You have to be careful. You always need to look for starting pitching depth.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean top of the market, but where does that fit in? Because you never have enough starting pitching…But we don’t have a lot of starting pitching depth, so that’s something we need to be cognizant of.”

The Phillies also met earlier this week with the representatives for free-agent slugger Kyle Schwarber, who finished second in NL MVP voting after setting career highs with 56 home runs and 132 RBIs in 2025.