The Philadelphia Phillies are losing a few key players to free agency this offseason, as Kyle Schwarber, JT Realmuto, and Ranger Suarez all hit the open market.
Of this group, Suarez is the one most likely to depart this winter. Schwarber and Realmuto are priorities for the Phillies front office this offseason, while Suarez is a bit more expendable. But the Phillies still need to replace his spot on the roster.
That replacement is predicted to come a lot easier than a Schwarber or Realmuto replacement. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com predicts that the Phillies will replace Suarez with a right-hander who's already in-house, in top prospect Andrew Painter.
Phillies predicted to replace Ranger Suarez with top prospect Andrew Painter
"I would assume that No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter replaces Ranger Suarez in the rotation," Feinsand writes, "but the Phillies need to build up their bullpen."
Suarez was a fan-favorite during his time with the Phillies, and while he's likely on his way out, Painter could step in as the next home-grown starter to have a big impact on the club.
Painter is the Phillies' top prospect and highly ranked across all evaluators. The Minnesota Twins asked for him for Jhoan Duran, but Dave Dombrowski was steadfast in not moving Painter at the trade deadline.
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Now, Painter is slated to take over for Suarez in the rotation. The 22-year-old will find himself pitching alongside Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, Jesus Luzardo, Taijuan Walker, and, a little into the regular season, Zack Wheeler.
This crop of starters is a very strong rotation, but only if Painter can pitch like a top prospect, Wheeler can come back and be effective, and Nola can bounce back after a down 2025 season.
While Painter posted a 5.26 ERA in 26 starts in 2025, it was his first season pitching in the minors since 2022, as he missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to injury.
Back with the Phillies, he's now on the 40-man roster and can easily replace Suarez. The big question is how well he can replace the beloved lefty.
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