Phillies predicted to part ways with All-Star pitcher in free agency

The Philadelphia Phillies are in a tight race to win their division with the New York Mets, and they will need their pitching staff to continue playing well down the stretch.

The Phillies' starting rotation has been impressive this season, with Zach Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, and Cristopher Sánchez all boasting sub-3.00 ERAs. Philadelphia's pitching staff ranks in the top third in the league in team ERA as well, with a 3.79, and they have multiple other high-end starters on their roster.

Unfortunately, the Phillies may have to make a hard decision on one of their pitchers this offseason, as Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller predicts the team will part ways with Suárez in free agency.

"It's likely the Phillies will need to make a choice between re-signing Ranger Suárez or Kyle Schwarber, and it's very likely they'll choose the slugger, seeing as how they already have Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo signed through at least next season, plus Andrew Painter coming sooner rather than later," Miller wrote.

"We shall see whether he'll be treated in free agency as a premium starter, but Suárez has been productive enough (when healthy) to merit consideration for the gig of 2026 Opening Day starter for quite a few franchises. One of those teams is the Baltimore Orioles, who should have both a preposterous amount of room in the budget to make a Suárez-sized splash and a lot of regret about not doing more to address the starting rotation this past offseason."

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Suárez is 8-4 this season in 16 appearances, boasting a 2.68 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 95 strikeouts. He would have been named an All-Star for the second straight season if he hadn't pitched two days before the All-Star game, but the Phillies may need to prioritize the offense with how much of their rotation they have under contract still. 

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