Philadelphia Phillies: Should Ranger Suarez be in the starting rotation?
By David Esser
Why moving Suarez to the rotation makes sense.
The argument for Suarez hypothetically being moved into the starting rotation is a pretty simple one – there’s a decent chance that he gives the Phillies the best chance to win in such a role.
As mentioned previously, Suarez has been rather exceptional this season. Whether it’s coming in to get a few key outs, or more commonly being used as a “long man” in situations where one of the team’s starters makes an early exit, Suarez has consistently chewed up innings for the Phillies this year.
However, these flashes of potential aren’t new for Suarez. He went 6-1 with a 3.14 ERA across 48.2 innings for the Phils in 2019, finishing the year as one of Gabe Kapler’s go-to arms out of the bullpen. At just 25 years of age, having already displayed high ability on more than one occasion, one has to wonder if he’s being “wasted” in a reliever role.
Additionally, Suarez is a lefty, something the Phillies have really struggled developing in recent years when it comes to their pitching staff. The hope was that Matt Moore could come in and provide the team with a left-handed presence at the back of their rotation, a theory that backfired in record time.
While having a good long man is obviously important, having another good starter to rely on is even more important – especially one who is young, and left-handed.