Washington Nationals Considered Landing Spot for All-Star Carlos Estevez
The Washington Nationals are in an interesting position that could involve the front office making calculated moves.
On one hand, allowing their young talent to continue developing would be the right thing to do. If the Nationals eventually want to compete for a World Series, the chances of that happening will significantly increase if the players on their current roster develop at the level they're expected to.
However, at some point, Washington has to make a move for a free agent or two. The front office doesn't need to spend $100 plus million on any single player during this stage of the rebuild, but it would be a good idea if they signed a veteran or two.
There are many options on the market for them to pursue, including reliever Carlos Estevez. Signing Estevez to come in and be the full-time closer would be an intriguing option for a Nationals team that could be ready to compete much quicker than many anticipate.
Having a solid closer at the back end of their bullpen could go a long way as they look to sneak into the Wild Card playoffs, even if that seems like a pipe dream. With the high-profile youngsters on Washington's roster, there's no telling when this team will eventually put it all together. It could be in 2025 or as late as 2027.
Either way, Estevez makes sense on multiple levels, and Caleb Moody of Just Baseball agrees, naming the Nationals a landing spot for the right-hander. Moody wrote that in his opinion Estevez is a better reliever than the recently-non tendered Kyle Finnegan. So, he sees Estevez as an upgrade who could lift the Nationals' bullpen to another level.
"After a year in which the Nationals looked as competitive as they’ve been since winning the World Series in 2019 – and with a promising young core taking shape at the big league level – it wouldn’t be a shock to see Washington add some capable closing talent to bolster the bullpen," he wrote.
The biggest benefit of adding Estevez is that his contract shouldn't be too expensive. If Washington doesn't want to increase its payroll too much, signing him wouldn't do that.
There's also a scenario where they could keep him on the team until the trade deadline and move him for prospects if the Nationals season doesn't go as many hope, adding another reason to sign him.
