Another Philadelphia Phillies trade deadline acquisition from last season will officially not be returning to the ball club as reliever Carlos Estévez has signed a deal with the Kansas City Royals who made it to the postseason via a wild card spot. The deal is still awaiting Estévez to pass his physical before being official.
Royals sign Phillies’ former closer Carlos Estévez in free agency
The two-year deal is worth $22 million guaranteed with a $13 million option for a third year. The Royals have a $2 million buyout if the organization declines the option. The Royals add a key bullpen piece that the Phillies had made an important part of the team at the last trade deadline.
The trade on July 27 featured the Phillies adding Estévez for George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri, two prospects formally in the Phillies system. Estévez finished the regular season with a 3-2 record, 2.57 ERA and six saves in 20 games. His postseason numbers in three games had a 3.38 ERA while throwing 2 2/3 innings including allowing the Game 4 grand slam to Francisco Lindor in the NLDS.
The 32-year-old reliever has a career record of 27-31 with a 4.21 ERA and 82 saves with 440 strikeouts in 419 1/3 innings of work in his eight-year MLB career including one All-Star game appearance.
This is not the first player from last season’s trade deadline the team has lost this week, as earlier Austin Hays signed with the Cincinnati Reds.
What losing Carlos Estévez means for the Phillies
Seeing Estévez officially gone creates an interesting situation for the Phillies who have now lost two important high-leverage relievers this offseason: Jeff Hoffman and Estévez.
The Phillies have added Jordan Romano, and Joe Ross in this year's offseason who are expected to make the team. The team also extended a spring training invite to Koyo Aoyagi who will have the opportunity to make the club, after throwing in the Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hanshin Tigers for the last nine seasons.
With the loss of both Hoffman and Estévez this offseason, this means young righty Orion Kerkering will be more important than ever for this organization as the franchise clearly values Kerkering at a high-level, not making a move for two high-end relievers especially with Romano coming off an injured season.
If the Phillies wanted to pivot to options outside of the organization the team could still turn to players like Danny Coulombe and Kenley Jansen.