The biggest move of the Boston Red Sox's offseason was landing left-handed starter Ranger Suarez. Adding to the top of the rotation saved what had previously been an underwhelming offseason. While there are remaining offensive concerns, this is at least a sign that Boston is willing to make a push to contend. Considering how impressive last season's results were despite the lack of top-dollar contracts, it makes sense to take a shot in what is a wide-open American League.
However, Boston Globe's Alex Speier revealed the details of Suarez's contract, which are a bit more concerning than originally thought. Boston structured the deal with salaries heavy on the backend, with Speier breaking down the full details. Here’s how Ranger Suárez’s 5-year, $130M deal with the Red Sox breaks down:
Signing bonus: $3M
2026 salary: $7M
2027 salary: $15M
2028 salary: $30M
2029 salary: $30M
2030 salary: $35M
2031 mutual option: $35M with a $10M buyout.
This is obviously potentially problematic for a pitcher who is already 30 and will be 36 by the final year of Boston's deal. Rarely do pitchers get healthier as they age, and this is a top-dollar contract that will make moving on from Suarez almost impossible if he were to struggle at the hitter-friendly Fenway Park. While this doesn't appear likely, considering the numbers he put up with Philadelphia, it cannot be ruled out entirely. Understanding the full structure of the deal makes it clear that Boston is taking on risk to save money at the front end.
Red Sox Taking Obvious Risk Pushing Money to the End of Suarez's Deal
Even the buyout option at the end of the deal would cost the Red Sox $10 million if the franchise wanted to move on. This is $3 million more than the pitcher is slated to make for the entire 2026 season and only $5 million less than he will make the following year. No question, Boston is stuck with Suarez no matter the results. If the starter lives up to expectations and is delivering on the top-dollar contract, the franchise obviously has no reason to move on.
The flip side here is that if the starter struggles at any point during the deal, it will be next to impossible to escape. All of these point to the fact that the first years of this deal must go in Boston's favor. There is no reason to believe it won't work, looking at the pitcher's solid resume and the clear fit on the Red Sox roster, but that doesn't change the fact that early returns would be far better than late ones.
Still, future concerns have to be noted, and the structure of this deal isn't exactly ideal. Perhaps the only bright side in the details is how light his salary will be for the 2026 season. This leaves fans hope that the Red Sox aren't done this offseason but will remain aggressive in the trade and free agent markets.
For Suarez, it is vital to get off to a fast start for a Boston fanbase whose expectations are far higher than a season ago. This is aided by a contract that is paying Suarez to be a top-of-the-rotation arm for the next half-decade. Something that the left-hander must deliver, or the franchise is clearly going to be in trouble.