It’s nearly time for the Philadelphia Phillies to disclose their plans for the offseason. They will need to make improvements in several areas, as this team was actually further from a World Series victory than it appeared during the regular season.
The Phillies definitely shouldn’t consider dismantling the team. It might be wiser for them to trade a player or two to address their needs.
Making slight improvements can often be more crucial than anything else since Philadelphia is currently at its peak in terms of star players.
A team can only sign so many star athletes; the rest of the roster must also perform well.
When it comes to marginal players, Carlos Estevez stands out. The right-handed pitcher will enter free agency this winter after the Phillies acquired him at the trade deadline.
They recognized the need for another right-handed option in their bullpen and not only found one but arguably secured the best pitcher available at the deadline.
However, Estevez didn’t perform as well after joining the team, which was challenging since he was considered one of the top bullpen arms in the league prior to the trade.
This is why Matt Higgins from Sportsnaut labeled Philadelphia’s closer as one of the “most overrated” free agents on the market.
“Carlos Estévez was among the top relievers at the trade deadline. He was expected to strengthen the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen after being traded from the Los Angeles Angels. Unfortunately, the Phillies didn’t get the same pitcher he was with the Angels. Estevez had an average of 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings, the lowest of his career. He will be remembered in Philadelphia for allowing a grand slam to Francisco Lindor in Game 4 of the NLDS, which helped the Mets advance to the NLCS. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden anticipates Estévez will land a three-year, $33 million contract.”
In terms of his performance, Estevez still pitched well during his time with the Phillies. In his 20 games, he achieved a 2.57 ERA and struck out 18 batters in 21.0 innings.
Replacing him would be challenging, but as Higgins mentioned, if he receives the predicted contract, it might be better to allocate those funds to Jeff Hoffman and look for a more affordable reliever to take Estevez’s place.