\n<\/p>\n
Finally, the Boston Red Sox are on board in free agency.<\/p>\n
Hours after Alex Bregman’s deal with the Chicago Cubs was made official, the Red Sox made their first major league free agent deal Wednesday, agreeing to a five-year, $130 million deal with Rangers left-hander Su\u00e1rez. Boston was the only MLB team to add to its big league roster through free agency this winter, and its additions so far (most notably, Sonny Gray, Wilson Contreras and Johan Oviedo) have all come via trades. Su\u00e1rez represents Boston’s biggest move yet \u2014 and an intriguing and unexpected pivot after losing Bregman.<\/p>\n
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When Bregman headed to Chicago, it was natural to speculate about how the Red Sox would try to replace his bat, despite the few other options still available in free agency or trade. But while the Red Sox have been linked to infielder Bo Bichette, reports indicated that Boston was considering leaning on his pitching staff as his main strength, rather than trying to reverse Bregman’s impact on offense. Boston may still need to make an offensive addition to make up for the loss of Bregman, but this deal with Su\u00e1rez suggests that the pitching-first strategy has really worked. There is also some sudden movement in the first baseman market, and it could result in action involving some of the top available arms, such as Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen.<\/p>\n
At the start of the season, Red Sox general manager Craig Breslow wasn’t shy about his goal of adding impact to starting pitching. “I don’t think we’re going to spend a ton of time trying to add a No. 4, a No. 5 starter,” he said at the GM meetings in November. \u201cIf we’re going to make a first addition to the lineup, I think it should be someone who can jump before the turn \u2026 especially someone who we feel can ride around or get behind Garrett. [Crochet] then we start the finals.\u201d<\/p>\n
A few weeks later, the Red Sox acquired veteran right-hander Sonny Gray from the Cardinals, a very effective arm but not one that fit Breslow’s description. Gray proved to be effective during his tenure at St. Louis, and his massive $31 million salary is the size of a great arm, but as he enters his age-36 season, he’s more productive as a reliable middle rotation option than someone you don’t feel confident giving him the ball in October. A few weeks later, the Sox added Johan Oviedo from Pittsburgh to further bolster their rotation depth, but when Boston turned its focus to keeping Bregman, any discussion about the rotation was largely put on the back burner.<\/p>\n
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Obviously, Bregman’s exit prompted a reassessment of the emergency situation; it doesn’t seem like an accident that this pivot to Su\u00e1rez happened so soon after Bregman’s departure. Was this the plan all along, based on the information Bregman might have left? Or is this a strong reaction to the situation in which Boston unexpectedly found itself? In any case, the important thing now is that Su\u00e1rez is bound in Boston, and his choice to be a co-ace behind Crochet is certainly compelling, if unusual in some respects.<\/p>\n
[<\/strong>Get more Boston news: Red Sox team feed] <\/strong><\/p>\n We don’t know if Breslow had Su\u00e1rez in mind when he said he was looking for someone who could “start a playoff game” for the Red Sox, but it’s easy to imagine the lefty’s postseason record standing out as an attractive feature on his resume. His 1.48 ERA is the fourth lowest in MLB history among pitchers who have made at least seven playoff starts with at least 40 innings pitched, behind only Sandy Koufax, Christy Mathewson and Stephen Strasburg. And perhaps his most memorable outing in October came in relief, when he shut down the 2022 NLCS to win the pennant for the Phillies, the only organization he’s ever known, signing as a rookie out of Venezuela back in 2012.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Su\u00e1rez performed well in the regular season as well. While he hasn’t had the type of career often associated with pitchers who have been handed nine-man deals \u2014 especially compared to the two best starters available this winter, Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez \u2014 Su\u00e1rez has been reliable on the mound: Over the past five seasons, he ranks 15th in fWAR and despite ranking 38th in his career last year, he posted a career high last year. 157\u2153 frames in 26 starts. Repeated back injuries have cost Su\u00e1rez time in three of the last five seasons, something to watch out for as he matures.<\/p>\n The astrology figures speak for themselves and paint a picture of a new star worthy of Boston’s rotation. Things, however, are very different for Su\u00e1rez’s new rotationmate. Although Crochet is one of baseball’s hardest-throwing pitchers, Su\u00e1rez’s average fastball velocity on both his four-seamer (91.3 mph) and sinker (90.1 mph) is among the lowest of any swing arm in the league. And his velo has dropped recently, with his 2025 estimates a couple ticks below the 93 mph he averaged in both heaters from 2021 to 2023.<\/p>\n In retrospect, Su\u00e1rez’s ability to make plays without premium velocity is a good sign of his improved pitch and the potential for him to expand his repertoire as he gets older. A more bearish look would underline concerns that if Su\u00e1rez suffers another big drop in velocity, he risks his fastballs becoming unplayable against the best hitters in the world.<\/p>\n Velo aside, with more command to offer than his two fastballs \u2014 an incredible changeup and curveball, and a cutter \u2014 it’s no surprise that Su\u00e1rez’s record in run defense is solid, and he thrives on attracting weak, low-ball contact instead of chasing whiffs. In short, he’s a really good striker, even if the beauty of his arsenal pales in comparison to that of the average forward in 2026.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n With this addition, a new round of “now what?” questions will surround the Red Sox, especially involving their pitching staff that remains uneven and incomplete. The failure to retain Bregman \u2014 who was a top target this winter and a central figure during the franchise’s tumultuous past year \u2014 was an organizational failure by any measure. But with the decision finally reached, even if it wasn’t the one they were hoping for, the Red Sox can move forward in their quest to build a contending team in 2026. Su\u00e1rez is the first bold move of the post-Bregman era, and there may be more to come.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Finally, the Boston Red Sox are on board in free agency. 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