The Toronto Blue Jays are eyeing a major rotation upgrade this offseason, and they’ve got their sights set on one of the postseason’s most reliable arms.
Ranger Suarez has the Blue Jays “salivating,” according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The left-hander is coming off a solid 3.20 ERA season with Philadelphia and looks like he’ll be one of the highest-paid starters on the market.
It’s easy to see why Toronto’s interested.
Suarez has been money in October – a career 1.48 ERA across 11 playoff games spanning 42.2 innings. That’s the kind of postseason reliability you can’t teach. This year alone, he posted a 1.80 ERA against the Dodgers in the NLDS before Philadelphia’s season ended.
The 29-year-old has quietly become one of baseball’s better starters since transitioning from the bullpen in 2021. Over the last five years, he’s put up a 3.25 ERA with 17.7 bWAR across 116 starts. His 129 ERA+ shows he’s been consistently above average, and 651 strikeouts in 694.1 innings tells you he can miss bats when needed.
“Suarez is expected to be one of the highest-paid starters on the open market, with teams like the Toronto Blue Jays salivating for a chance to sign him.”
Philadelphia isn’t expected to bring him back, which opens the door for Toronto to make a serious push. The Blue Jays are reportedly planning to be aggressive this winter after falling short in the World Series, and Suarez fits exactly what they need.
Toronto’s rotation already has some solid pieces. Shane Bieber is returning from injury, and they’ve got Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage in the mix. Adding Suarez would transform that from a good rotation into a potentially elite one.
What makes Suarez even more valuable is his versatility. He’s proven he can start or close – remember, he nailed down the final outs to send Philadelphia to the World Series in 2022. That kind of flexibility is huge for playoff baseball.
The Blue Jays know they were close last year. Adding a proven October performer like Suarez could be exactly what pushes them over the top. Now it’s just a matter of whether they’re willing to pay what it’ll take to get him.
