With each impressive showing, the market value of two of the Phillies’ top three pending free agents continues to rise.
Ranger Suárez turned in another stellar performance — his seventh straight — by throwing seven shutout innings against the Blue Jays and leaving the mound to a standing ovation at Citizens Bank Park.
Since May 10, Suárez has posted a 5-1 record with a 1.16 ERA. Over that stretch, he’s consistently gone deep into games, averaging seven innings per start on just 96 pitches while allowing less than a run per outing.
Kyle Schwarber also continued his hot streak, homering in back-to-back games. His second-inning, three-run blast — his 22nd of the year — was a game-changer, and notably one of the few that hasn’t been a solo shot.
Suárez, now 29, holds a 2.32 ERA through eight starts. If he keeps this up over a full season, he could command a contract near or above $100 million due to the high demand for quality starting pitchers and his postseason track record. Still, with the Phillies already deep in starting pitching and other areas of need, his return in free agency is far from guaranteed.
This marks the fourth consecutive year Suárez has had at least one dominant stretch. He’s shown flashes of brilliance in both early and late-season stretches, but never over a full season. With added motivation this year — and with Aaron Nola sidelined — the Phillies are counting on Suárez to maintain this level of play.
Meanwhile, Schwarber has again become the team’s offensive catalyst in 2025. He recently broke out of a two-week slump in which he hit just .211 with two home runs and 27 strikeouts in 64 plate appearances. Now he’s homered and drawn a walk in back-to-back games.
His power is especially critical with Bryce Harper out. Alec Bohm isn’t known for home runs, Trea Turner has shifted his approach toward contact hitting, and Nick Castellanos admitted he’s still trying to balance patience with aggression at the plate.
The Phillies face major decisions with Suárez, Schwarber, and catcher J.T. Realmuto, who’s also in a contract year. The team would love to re-sign Schwarber now, but from his perspective, it makes sense to wait — especially with more teams likely to show interest once the season ends.
The front office isn’t concerned about these players driving up their value, because that would mean they’re continuing to produce. Free agency doesn’t open until five days after the World Series ends. For now, the focus is on the daily grind. Friday’s win was a significant one as the team works to recover from a recent slump in which they lost nine of ten. They’ve now won three of their last four.
Philadelphia sits at 40-29, with Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler lined up for the weekend. One more win would ensure a winning homestand, and two more could erase the sting of their earlier slide.
Manager Rob Thomson was pleased to get a win without using his top bullpen arms — Jordan Romano, Matt Strahm, and Orion Kerkering. Joe Ross pitched the eighth inning of the 8-0 victory, and Taijuan Walker finished the ninth. None of the team’s key relievers pitched on Wednesday, and with Thursday being a day off, the bullpen enters the weekend series well-rested.
