Braves predicted to poach Phillies ace on cheap $110 million deal to pair with Chris Sale and Spencer Strider

4 days ago 2

Braves predicted to poach Phillies ace on cheap $110 million deal to pair with Chris Sale and Spencer Strider originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Atlanta Braves could be positioning themselves for a big-time rotation move this offseason, with Ranger Suarez’s name being floated here and there.

A new prediction comes from Ryan Finkelstein of Just Baseball, who recently took a deeper look at Suarez’s market and others around the league.

The Braves don’t need a true ace with Chris Sale and Spencer Strider, but they need another good arm and someone who can stay on the mound.

Adding a second left-handed starter to pair with Sale would balance the rotation, and unless they want to make a trade, Suarez becomes a far more realistic option.

Suarez has spent years in the NL East with the Philadelphia Phillies, and the idea of Atlanta stealing him from a rival only adds to the good of signing him.

He predicted Atlanta would land Suarez on a five-year, $110 million deal, a move that would help both sides.

“This updated team prediction comes from a recent dive I did into Ranger Suarez and what his fit would look like with the Atlanta Braves. The Braves could use a steady presence in the middle of their rotation, and also could use a second lefty to pair with Chris Sale. Likely priced out of the market for Framber Valdez, the Braves can shoot for Suarez, looking to poach from a division rival.

“Suarez fits in any rotation, giving him plenty of landing spots to choose from. You can make a case that Suarez should be the No. 1 priority for both the Braves and the Tigers this offseason; it is just a matter of which team aggressively bids to make it happen,” he wrote.

It remains uncertain if Suarez could be had for about $20 million AAV, but if it is, a deal makes even more sense for the Braves.