The first week of March is over as MLB spring training enters its final stretch. The Philadelphia Phillies already announced their first roster cuts in preparation for Opening Day 2025, having sent infielder Aidan Miller, outfielder Justin Crawford, and a handful of other players to the minors earlier this week.
One player whose Phillies future is still up in the air is left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez. The Venezuelan hurler is set to hit free agency at the end of the season, leaving time to tell if he'll remain with the organization beyond 2025.
While anything can change between now and next offseason, Suarez has just made it clear where he hopes his career leads him.
Phillies News: LHP Ranger Suarez Pleads to Stay in Philadelphia Beyond 2025
During a recent interview with MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, Suarez expressed that he hopes to stick with the Phillies after his current contract expires.
"It’s about staying in Philly," Suarez said. "This is my childhood club, my childhood organization. I’ve played here since I was really young. All I think about is staying here. I want to pitch here for the rest of my career."
Ranger Suárez says he wants to play forever in Philly. But first he has to have a good season. He has to stay healthy.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) March 5, 2025
“It’s about going through the season, and going after that after the season is over. We’re going to see what happens.” https://t.co/ZJcI7Uuhc4
Even though a return is far from guaranteed, Suarez doesn't even want to contemplate the idea of leaving the City of Brotherly Love.
"I don’t want to think about leaving (Philadelphia) ever," Suarez added. "I want to keep believing that I’m going to stay here and that I’m going to stay here for a long time. Because that’s all that I want."
Suarez, 29, has been with the Phillies since signing as a teenager back in 2012. He eventually made his MLB debut during the 2018 campaign, starting his Philadelphia tenure as a reliever before becoming a full-time starter in 2022.
After a bumpy 2023 performance, Suarez took his game to new heights with a 2024 campaign to remember. The 6-foot-1 southpaw amassed a career-high 12 wins in 27 starts, pitching to a 3.46 ERA and 1.201 WHIP while also averaging 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings en route to his first-ever MLB All-Star appearance.
Suarez's odds of being re-signed by the Phillies will hinge on whether or not he successfully builds off that performance. The good news is that he has looked solid this spring, having pitched two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts in Tuesday's 12-3 loss to the New York Yankees.
The Phillies will need Suarez (and the rest of the starting rotation) to be at the top of his game to finish atop the MLB's mountain for the first time in 17 years. Speaking of which, Rob Thomson's club will continue spring training with the fourth-best 2025 World Series odds (+1000) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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