Dylan Cease may have jumpstarted the free agent market on Wednesday afternoon when he inked his seven-year, $210 million deal with Toronto. That means one of the best pitchers on the free agent market has alread signed not with Atlanta, and if the Braves intend to pivot they need to get the ball rolling.
Alex Anthopoulos has stated he wants to add to the rotation this winter, and true upgrades at starting pitcher are not lacking with this crop of free agents. Cease may have been the big ticket pitcher on the market, but plenty of viable options remain for Atlanta to bring in. If the Braves want to aim high for a free agent starter the time is now to be aggressive on Ranger Suarez.
Braves need to sign Ranger Suarez before the pitching market gets too crazy
We say it every offseason, but the price of quality starting pitching is always one of the steepest on the market. This winter both quality and quantity exist among free agent starting pitchers. Alex Anthopoulos generally likes to get his shopping done early, but if he alters his usual methods and tries to wait out the market on any of these free agent pitchers, he may walk away empty handed this winter.
Some potential fits have already found new homes, and the Braves can't afford to stand by as the calendar creeps toward 2026. Ranger Suarez is a name that makes a ton of sense for Atlanta, and is someone who is considered to be near the top of his free agent class. Suarez has dominated the Braves for years now, and his 2025 campaign with the Phillies (3.20 ERA and 3.21 FIP last season) was more evidence that he could be just the durable starter the Braves need.
Adding Michael King, Chris Bassitt, or another starter would be celebrated, but Suarez's ability to limit hard contact makes him one of the most intriguing pitchers avaliable. Suarez ranked in the 95th percentile in average exit velocity, and the 98th percentile in hard-hit rate according to Baseball Savant.
If Anthopoulos sits idle and lets guys like Michael King and Framber Valdez sign then Suarez's price tag could really creep up toward an uncomfortable number. The earlier Anthopoulos is aggressive on a free agent starter the better. While the Braves haven't been completely stagnant like some teams this offseason, plenty of real questions remain with the 2026 roster. Cease was the first domino to fall, and as the Winter Meetings approach fans should expect things to pick up with other big name players.