Phillies ace predicted to take deal with NL contender in MLB free agency

Phillies ace predicted to take deal with NL contender in MLB free agency originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Dave Dombrowski has made it known over the past few weeks that he doesn't believe left-hander Ranger Suarez will be returning to the Philadelphia Phillies.

That was probably only confirmed on Wednesday, as Dylan Cease took a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Suarez is better than Cease, so his market could be somewhat similar to the right-hander’s.

Predicting where he'd end up in free agency, Will Laws of Sports Illustrated doesn't think it'll be back in Philadelphia. He predicted him to sign with the San Diego Padres, a team that should be searching for pitching, especially after losing Cease and probably Michael King.

“The gap between Valdez and Suárez is razor thin, and you could make a strong argument for their places on this list being swapped. The Phillies stalwart is a similarly crafty lefty who has been the picture of consistency over the last four years, always posting a FIP between 3.21 and 3.90. A master of inducing soft contact, Suárez goes against the grain of the modern model starter who relies on plus stuff and seems to thrive on giving hitters a different look than they’re used to. He should solidify some contender’s projected playoff rotation,” he wrote.

If Suarez’s price isn't as high as some think it could get, although it'd be a bit surprising to see that not be the case after this deal for Cease, it's probably a better idea for the Phillies to get back in on him. However, Dombrowski has made it seem like that won't happen.

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