'Inevitable' Mets Sign Ranger Suarez or Framber Valdez to Contract, Says MLB Insider

Having not made any additions to their starting rotation thus far, the New York Mets are seen as a frontrunner for a top arm still available in free agency.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, it feels "inevitable" the Mets will sign either Ranger Suárez or Framber Valdez.

Olney specifically cited Suárez as a good fit because of his "calm mound presence and experience pitching in a big market for all of those years in Philadelphia."

One of the reasons that the Mets haven't added a pitcher is their reported reluctance to break the bank for any of the available options.

The Athletic's Will Sammon reported on Dec. 8 that New York would prefer shorter-term deals with players like Suárez, Valdez and Tatsuya Imai. It was seemed like that would take them out of the running for Imai, but he wound up taking a three-year deal worth up to $63 million from the Houston Astros.

When free agency began, MLB Trade Rumors predicted a six-year, $150 million contract for Valdez and a five-year, $115 million deal for Suárez.

Suárez or Valdez would instantly be no worse than the second-best starter on the Mets. Nolan McLean is penciled in as the No. 1 going into 2026 after an impressive run of eight starts in the big leagues at the end of last season.

The other starting options currently on the roster include David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea.

Suárez is coming off arguably his best season in 2025 with the Philadelphia Phillies. The left-hander had a 3.20 ERA with 151 strikeouts in 157.1 innings. Valdez recorded a 3.66 ERA and an MLB-high two complete games for the Houston Astros last season.