Earlier this week, the San Francisco Giants added to their starting rotation by signing Texas Rangers right-hander Tyle Mahle. When he’s healthy, Mahle can be an effective starter. However, injuries have been an issue. The Giants could use another starter either through a trade or free agency before spring training begins in February.
San Francisco has Logan Webb and Robbie Ray at the top of the rotation. After that, they are lacking a true No. 3. Two of the top free agent pitchers, Dylan Cease and Michael King of the San Diego Padres, have already signed. Cease is going to the Toronto Blue Jays, while King is returning to the Padres.
The top two remaining starters are Ranger Suarez of the Philadelphia Phillies and Framber Valdez of the Houston Astros. As far as the Giants go, either would be a huge addition to the rotation for the 2026 season. On Thursday, they got some good news in regards to Suarez.
MLB Writer Links Ranger Suarez to the Giants
Jon Heyman of the New York Post listed the Top 6 remaining free agents this winter, and Suarez was one of the names he gave an update on. He linked the Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets to the left-hander.
“His postseason excellence should make him a prime target (his 1.48 postseason ERA is third-best this century, after Mariano Rivera (0.86) and Stephen Strasburg (1.46)). The Orioles, Giants, Mets, and Cubs are among teams linked to Suarez. He has elite command – he was judged having the best command in MLB and above average location with six different pitches – but he hasn’t logged the enormous number of innings of Valdez. Of course, lower “mileage” could also be perceived positively,” Heyman wrote.
One thing is for sure for any contender looking to sign Suarez: his numbers in the postseason truly should excite anyone. In eight starts for the Phillies, he’s 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA in 42.2 innings. This past season, he made only one appearance against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series and worked five innings and allowing just one run.
Will the Giants Outbid For Ranger Suarez?
Just how much money San Francisco will spend this offseason remains to be seen. According to Ryan Finklestein of Just Baseball, he predicted Suarez to get a five-year, $110 million contract and sign with the Atlanta Braves. Will the Giants outbid in that range with other teams, including Atlanta, if it gets that far?
“Suarez fits in any rotation, giving him plenty of landing spots to choose from. You can make a case that Suarez should be the No. 1 priority for both the Braves and the Tigers this offseason; it is just a matter of which team aggressively bids to make it happen,” wrote Finklestein.
San Francisco needs to add another rotation piece if they are going to contend with the Dodgers next season. The Padres have some questions surrounding their rotation. The Arizona Diamondbacks are expected to be aggressive in adding free agents. Suarez would be an addition that could be a game-changer for San Francisco.
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