Phillies Top Free Agent Linked to Mets in Potential Blockbuster $164 Million Deal

The Philadelphia Phillies understand that they could lose two of their best players on their roster from the past few years, with left-hander Ranger Suarez and left-handed hitting designated hitter Kyle Schwarber set to hit the free agency market. Schwarber is a better player than Suarez on a day-to-day basis, but there’s a strong argument to be made that Suarez is one of the better left-handed starters in Major League Baseball and has proved that over the past few seasons.

The Phillies will also have to be mindful of letting Suarez walk, as getting rid of starting pitching is typically never a good idea. If they have the money to go out and make the move, they should, but if they don’t want to, it seems like the New York Mets will be right there ready to do just that.

 Jim Bowden of The Athletic was the latest to suggest that, linking the Mets to the Phillies’ left-hander, stating that he could land a six-year deal for $164 million. 

“Suárez has been one of the most consistent left-handed starters in baseball over the last two seasons, making a combined 53 starts with an ERA and FIP both hovering around 3.30 over that span. He doesn’t throw hard but his secondary pitches are very effective and he throws strikes. There should be plenty of interest in the lefty considering he has only 762 career innings at the major-league level on his pitching odometer. Best team fits: Phillies, Mets, Braves, Orioles, Cubs, Padres, Giants, Astros, Tigers Contract prediction: 6-years, $164 million,” Bowden wrote.

Do the Phillies Want to Spend Big in Free Agency?

Suarez and the Philadelphia Phillies have a good relationship, but the money will likely be what it comes down to. 

The New York Mets have just as much money as any team in Major League Baseball, perhaps outside of the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, it remains unclear whether Steve Cohen plans to go that route again. 

Suarez sounded like he enjoyed his time in Philadelphia when speaking to reporters after the season, according to Phillies Nation, but that doesn’t always mean everything. 

“I mean again, it’s the love for everyone here: the staff, the team (staff), the teammates. The good moments that we had from the 2022 playoffs and onward and for that, all the preparation that came that led us to this run of going to the playoffs. Had a lot of great things with the team happen to me and a couple bad things happen to me too during these years. You know, that’s what I take from it,” he said.

Could the Mets Look From Within to Bolster the Rotation?

The New York Mets could also look at their current young core and try to build upon that in the future. It might not be the best idea for the Mets to do that because of their desire to win a championship in the near future, but Anthony DiComo of MLB.com listed that as one of the five questions that they’ll have to answer during the winter. 

“If prices again prove too high for Stearns’ taste, he could break character and invest big money in a top free agent like Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez or Michael King. Otherwise, the club will be putting serious faith in incumbent options Nolan McLean (Mets’ No. 1 prospect, No. 11 overall by MLB Pipeline), Brandon Sproat (No. 5 prospect), Jonah Tong (No. 4 prospect, No. 46 overall), Christian Scott, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, David Peterson and Kodai Senga. Simply adding a mid-rotation arm won’t do much if anything to augment that group,” he wrote.

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