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The backloaded contract will then pay Suárez $15 million in 2027, $30 million in both 2028 and ’29 and $35 million in 2030. There’s a $35 million mutual option for 2031 that includes a $10 million buyout. The structure saves the Red Sox quite a bit in the short term and also protects Suárez in the event of a lengthy lockout in 2027; he’d be losing far less then than his AAV of $26 million.

The deal was reported last week and is now official. Suárez is a groundball-heavy pitcher with tremendous control, which is a profile that should age well. Obviously, the team will hope to get his fastball velocity trending back up, but Suárez should fit nicely alongside Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray at the top of a rotation with both talent and experience. It remains to be seen what the Red Sox will now do with their rotation, which appears to have far more candidates than it has free spaces.

The Red Sox needed to free up a 40-man roster spot to sign Ranger Suarez, so they will swap Gray for yet another catching prospect. Baez was the Twins’ 12th-round pick in 2022 and hit .278/.371/.423 in 96 games between High-A and Double-A in 2025 with eight home runs and 54 RBI. The 24-year-old has a good approach at the plate with solid pull-side power and played all over the field at Arizona State, which gives him a little bit more value.

Halligan had a 4.40 ERA and a 66/27 K/BB over 57 1/3 innings, most of them win Double-A, while pitching in the Braves and Astros systems last season, but he’d recently impressed in Puerto Rico, amassing a 2.82 ERA and a 30/6 K/BB in 22 1/3 innings of winter ball. If the 26-year-old ever reaches the majors, he’ll be the second Halligan to do so; Jocko Halligan hit .281/.359/.403 for the Reds, Orioles and the Buffalo Bisons from 1890-92.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan adds that the deal contains a mutual option for 2031. After missing out on Alex Bregman, the Red Sox have pivoted their focus to bolstering their starting rotation by adding one of the best arms still on the market. In 762 career big-league innings, Suárez has a recorded a strong 3.38 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 705/240 K/BB ratio. His fastball velocity has steadily declined since 2023, he doesn’t miss many bats, and he has yet to pitch over 157 innings in any season, so there are plenty of reasons his type of contract may seem like a lot of money. However, Suárez consistently limits hard contact, commands the zone well enough to produce a career 22 percent strikeout rate, and has a career 52 percent groundball rate, which should allow him to avoid the pitfalls of pitching at Fenway Park. He will slot in near the top of the Red Sox rotation along with Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray. This also gives the Red Sox a surplus of starting pitching that they can use to make another trade. The Phillies made Suárez a qualifying offer, so they will receive a compensatory pick, likely in the fourth or fifth round of the 2026 MLB Draft.

The 35-year-old hurler hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since the 2019 season. He spent the 2025 campaign toeing the slab for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball where he registered a 3.60 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 46/23 K/BB K/BB ratio across 50 frames. He’ll add bullpen depth for the Red Sox.

Along with a full no-trade clause, he gets $20 million more than Pete Alonso and $25 million more than Kyle Schwarber over the same timeframe. Outfield might have been the bigger priority for the Cubs, but Bregman still seems like a big upgrade from Matt Shaw at third, and the Cubs could see what Shaw looks like in the outfield. Trading Nico Hoerner is another possibility. For the Red Sox now, it’s Bo Bichette or bust.

There’s a shroud of mystery and uncertainty swirling around Casas as he continues to work his way back from last year’s serious knee injury. The Red Sox acquired veteran slugger Willson Contreras to take over at first base, which likely limits the former top prospect to DH until further notice. It’s too early to write Casas off completely since he’ll be just 26 years old on Opening Day but there are more questions than answers at this stage of his career. There should be some clarity regarding his immediate outlook and role based on how he performs in Grapefruit League action. He seems likely to open the year back in Triple-A Worcester but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him make Boston’s season-opening roster, especially if the Red Sox decide to move either Jarren Duran or Masataka Yoshida.

Cora’s remark came in response to a question at Fenway Fest about whether the club would consider moving Rafaela to the keystone to alleviate its outfield logjam. The 25-year-old’s offensive production cratered in the second half of last season after a stellar opening act that featured 14 homers and 13 steals in 88 games. The constant shuffling between second base and center field may have contributed to the slide considering the Red Sox are going out of their way to dismiss the possibility of him playing second base, prioritizing Rafaela’s elite defense in center field after he earned the AL Gold Glove at the spot. From a fantasy standpoint, the added stability represents a positive development for Rafaela as he’ll have fewer variables to worry about heading into next season. However, losing second-base eligibility down the road would be a tough break for fantasy managers.

Cora added that he’s reserving the right to change his mind, but his initial lineup projection has the newly-acquired veteran slugger occupying the cleanup spot. The 33-year-old’s arrival solves Boston’s first base quagmire and it’s a notable development from a counting stats perspective that he’ll be locked into the middle of their lineup, regardless of whether Alex Bregman returns. He should have plenty of opportunities from a run-production standpoint with Roman Anthony and Trevor Story serving as top-of-the-order table-setters next season. The big question heading into the late stages of the offseason is where Jarren Duran fits into the lineup if he’s on the roster once spring training opens up in early February.