The Philadelphia Phillies are in the midst of another value-driven offseason, and most of the pieces that will comprise the team's 2025 roster already seem to be in place. While October's postseason collapse at the hands of the rival New York Mets hinted at drastic changes, Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies front office have largely shied away from the hefty contracts being handed out at the top of the free agent pyramid so far this offseason.
A quick overview of the Phillies offseason reveals a patchwork approach that sought to reinforce roster weaknesses by signing and trading for second-tier MLB talent and former All-Star caliber players in need of a bounce-back performance in 2025. That's certainly the case with recently signed right-handed hitting outfielder Max Kepler, two-time All-Star closer Jordan Romano and dynamic but often injured left-handed starter Jesús Luzardo. With the trio of additions now in the fold for next season, Phillies manager Rob Thomson will once again be tasked with pushing the right buttons and hoping he has been provided the necessary roster pieces on a team that struggled to play winning baseball at times during the second half of the 2024 season.
With last season's most consistent closer/high leverage relief arm Jeff Hoffman still a free agent and searching for a new contract, it's still possible there could be a reunion between player and ballclub if the salary, role and length of contract meet both side's expectations, but a glaring hole at the back of the bullpen still remains with over a month remaining until the start of spring training. With Romano looking likely to earn the bulk of save opportunities if health allows, the Phillies look to be taking a hard pass on the prospect of reuniting with former closer Carlos Estévez, despite remaining unsigned at this stage of the offseason.
Former Phillies closer predicted to head to the NL Central
While the cupboards are now mostly bare in the free agent market for starting pitching and impact bats, the same cannot be said when it comes to top-tier high-end relief pitching. The hot stove market for closers is stuck in a deep freeze at present as free agent closer Tanner Scott has yet to come to terms with a team and reset market expectations, thus creating a stalled and slow-moving marketplace.
Unsurprisingly, former Phillies closer Carlos Estévez remains in limbo with an impressive list of unemployed closers still available. Estévez is in the same situation as Jeff Hoffman, Kenley Jansen, Kirby Yates and David Robertson, who are all looking for deals heading into the second week of January. But it's just a matter of time before a rival MLB team takes the plunge and offers Scott the deal he's looking for, and former MLB general manager and current The Athletic writer Jim Bowden recently predicted that Estévez will call the NL Central home in 2025 (subscription required).
"Like (Kirby) Yates," wrote Bowden. "Estévez probably has to wait until Scott signs before he can find his next team. I think the Cubs, who need to build up their bullpen, are the best fit for him. They could use the strike-throwing power righty in high-leverage spots late in games."
Bowden goes on to name the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants as other possible landing spots, with the Phillies notably absent from the field of still interested ball clubs. With the Phillies likely to bet on a bounce-back performance from Jordan Romano (105 career saves) on his one-year, $8.5 million incentive-laden contract, the team appears to have very little interest in a reunion with Estévez at this stage of the offseason.