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Phillies Executive Dave Dombrowski has said the Phillies' outfield is set in stone.

The Philadelphia Phillies will face off against an important former member of their team.

Ranger Suárez, now playing with the Boston Red Sox, will face Philadelphia in the third game of their upcoming series.

After leaving the Phillies this past offseason, signing a five-year, $130 million contract, Suárez has played well. In seven starts, he has a 2.77 ERA.

Despite leaving the only team he has known since he signed as an international free agent in 2012, there is no animosity towards him, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury.

In fact, his teammates are excited to see him again and compete against their friend and former teammate.

What Did Philadelphia Phillies Players Say About Suárez?

In eight seasons for Philadelphia, Suárez pitched in 187 games (119 starts) to a 3.38 ERA. But in the postseason, Suárez took it up a notch, pitching to a 1.48 ERA across 11 postseason games.

“[Suárez] performed at the highest level in the postseason,” Phillies starter Zack Wheeler said. “He showed up. He had some hiccups through the years with injuries, but at the end of the day, when it really, really mattered, he was there and he performed and he helped us get to our furthest points, at least since I’ve been a Phillie, with the World Series and as deep as we made it other years. He’s one of the guys that helped us get to that point.

“He was a special part of this core and we don’t forget that. Especially as a starting pitcher. Maybe hitters kind of forget certain things like that, but as a starter, we kind of take pride in carrying that load and he really stepped up.”

In addition to being a postseason hero and solid pitcher with the Phillies, Suárez was a fan-favorite and clubhouse leader.

“I have a lot of respect for him, especially when he’s on the mound because he’s got big (guts),” Phillies reliever José Alvarado said. “And off the mound, he was so funny.”

What Was the Reasoning Behind Not Retaining Suárez?

While Suárez was an All-Star with Philadelphia and the type of player teams want on and off the field, he was not retained after the 2025 season.

However, because of the emergence of Jesús Luzardo and the desire to promote top prospect Andrew Painter, the Phillies didn’t make much of an effort to bring back Suárez.

Luzardo would sign a five-year, $135 million extension with Philadelphia. However, in eight starts in 2026, Luzardo has struggled to a 5.98 ERA.

As for the rookie, Painter, he has struggled as well. In seven games (six starts), Painter has pitched to a 6.89 ERA.

While Suárez’s former teammates realize that it would’ve been extremely difficult to re-sign him with the payroll situation, it was sad for them nonetheless.

“I figured it was inevitable that he’d be somewhere else with the way the payroll is,” Wheeler said. “We had Taijuan (Walker) at the time, and Painter was coming. Things were kind of full. As good as Ranger is, they kind of didn’t have a spot. It’s the reality of baseball, the business side.”

Regardless of Suarez’s departure, there are zero hard feelings, and his former teammates are excited to compete against him.

“I miss him,” Alvarado said. “He did a lot of good things for our team. That’s why he means a lot to us.

“But this is business. He will try to beat us, and we will try to beat him.”