MLB Rumors: Robert Suárez, Padres Agree to 5-Year, $46M Contract

Relief pitcher Robert Suárez was a revelation for the San Diego Padres in his first season in the major leagues, and he will reportedly be pitching for the National League West club for the foreseeable future.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported Thursday the Padres reached an agreement on a five-year, $46 million contract with the right-hander. The deal features an opt-out after the first three years.

Morosi further noted the contract is "one of the largest guarantees in recent memory for a reliever without extensive closing experience."

Suárez previously pitched with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan and wasted no time making an impact stateside. He finished the season with a 2.27 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 61 strikeouts in 47.2 innings.

He was slightly worse in the postseason with a 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and nine strikeouts in nine innings in a limited sample size, but two of the three runs he allowed came on a single swing when Bryce Harper launched a clutch home run for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series.

It was a difficult time for a mistake, but Suárez is far from the only pitcher to give up a long ball to one of the best players in the league.

Looking ahead to the 2023 campaign, it is not a stretch to suggest Suárez and Josh Hader will be one of the best one-two punches at the back end of a bullpen in baseball. Suárez can take the eighth inning while Hader takes the ninth, which will help San Diego shorten games and compete in the National League West.

The team will be looking to take the next step with Fernando Tatis Jr. returning from his suspension and joining a group that reached the NLCS, and having that ability to control the end of games figures to be particularly important come playoff time.

Suárez will help the Padres do just that.