Phillies already opening the window to bring back their top trade acquisition?

When the Philadelphia Phillies made the trade for Carlos Estévez, many felt it came at quite a high cost. That was because the Phillies had to unload their No. 5 and No. 7 prospects, according to Baseball America, in pitchers George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri respectively.

Both prospects were on a rapid rise in terms of their growth and development this season and appeared to be on track for a bright future ahead of them. So when they were both sacrificed for what could turn out to be just a rental, the feeling certainly stung a bit for the Phillies’ faithful.

Phillies already opening the window to bring back Carlos Estévez

Phillies fans may get to feel slightly better now after Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski's remarks after the trade. Proven in the past to be a man of his word, Dombrowski had the following to say, per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman:

"Probably a little bit more than you'd like to give up for a rental but who knows, maybe we'll sign him once the year's over, you never can tell," Dombrowski said of the price the Phillies paid for Estévez’s services and what the future may hold.

From his statement, it appears as though the Phillies are already opening the window to bring Estévez back following the 2024 season. If the Phillies can actually work out an extension, then the deal could turn out to be much more valuable in the long run while lessening the blow of giving away the promising pitching prospects.

Bringing back Estévez would be worth it, given he has been one of the best in the business this season closing out games. Over 34 appearances, he has complied a nifty 2.38 ERA and 0.74 WHIP with 20 saves in 23 opportunities.

In fact, he has been so dominant that he hasn’t blown a save since the middle of May, and has held opponents scoreless with just a .054 batting average in his last 18 games. Having Estévez for the long run should make the Phillies’ bullpen that much stronger to help keep the team competitive for the foreseeable future.

In case you're still in doubt about the cost that the Phillies paid in the trade, just take a look at what the San Diego Padres gave up to get closer Tanner Scott from the Miami Marlins. In comparison, we should all be grateful that the Phillies got Estévez at a more reasonable cost in what turned out to be a seller's market. More importantly, the odds of him staying after the season just got that much better.