The San Diego Padres are right on the cusp of a playoff spot, and the bullpen is arguably the strongest in the majors.
The Padres had Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon and Robert Suarez all make the MLB All-Star Game, and they then added Athletics star closer Mason Miller at the trade deadline to form a formidable reliever bunch.
Suarez, who had 36 saves in 2024 in 65 games, recorded his 40th save on Sunday in the 3-2 road win over the Chicago White Sox.
It marks Suarez's first ever 40-save season. And, on top of that, he joins an exclusive Padres club that features Trevor Hoffman, Heath Bell and others.
Here are all the players in Padres history who recorded 40 or more saves in a single season, per Padres Data Daily:
- Trevor Hoffman (9 times)
- Heath Bell (3 times)
- Kirby Yates (1 time)
- Mark Davis (1 time)
Now, Suarez becomes the fifth Padres closer to hit the 40-save mark.
In 2022, Suarez signed a five-year, $46 million deal, although it includes a player option after this season that he is expected to exercise to test the free agency market.
Initially, Suarez sat behind closer Josh Hader, but when he left town, it made the decision to move Suarez to the closer role an easy, and he has made it pay off for San Diego thus far.
Suarez's story is incredible. He spent his 20s pitching in Venezuela in independent leagues, and now, at the age of 34, he is an All-Star and has 40 saves while helping the Padres try and make a deep run in the postseason.
The assumption for some time has been that Suarez will head for free agency after the 2025 season, and he could command decent money on the market. Moreover, the Padres' acquisition of Mason Miller at the MLB trade deadline has presumably made it even clearer that Suarez plans to test the open market.
For now, the Padres closer can enjoy being in the 40-save club and taking the ball in the ninth inning for San Diego.