Carlos Estévez
It might be surprising to some to see stud closer Carlos Estévez here. After all, Estévez was the Phillies’ biggest trade deadline acquisition this year and has delivered for the most part so far with the club. After struggling a little at the beginning of his tenure with Philadelphia, he has settled in nicely by posting a strong 3-1 record with six saves, a tidy 1.93 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, giving up just four earned runs with four walks and 16 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings pitched over 17 appearances.
So why wouldn’t the Phillies want to make him a long-term keeper? Actually, the more successful Estévez becomes with Philadelphia, especially if he comes up big for them in the playoffs, the more likely it is that he will not be returning to the club beyond this season.
At 31 years old and entering free agency this offseason, Estévez will likely be one of the most coveted elite closers in the market. That is because the majority of the other notable closers are all 34 years of age or older, with some showing signs of regression in their numbers in recent years (such as Kenley Jansen and Paul Sewald). On top of that, Estévez will want to pursue a large, long-term contract for job security heading into the latter part of his career.
In addition, the Phillies’ own Jeff Hoffman also happens to be entering free agency this offseason. As a result, Philadelphia will likely be able to afford just one but not both relievers beyond 2024. Of note is the fact that Hoffman has been just as good, if not even better than Estévez this season, registering 10 saves and posting a dominant 1.76 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 81 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings.
With the fierce competition for Estévez likely to drive his price way high, the Phillies should focus on securing Hoffman instead, who has proven to be more successful in the multiple roles given to him as a reliever in addition to being the closer.