Boston Red Sox Among Multiple Suitors for Philadelphia Phillies Elite Closer

The Boston Red Sox might spend heavily this winter and the Philadelphia Phillies could be impacted by that.

Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Carlos Estevez (53) reacts after giving up a grand slam to New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (not pictured) in the sixth inning in game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When the Philadelphia Phillies traded for Carlos Estevez during the deadline, they understood the risk of losing him in the offseason. The right-hander is set to hit the open market and is perhaps the best reliever available this winter.

It'll be interesting to see which teams show interest in him, as there have been multiple linked to the closer over the past few weeks.

The Phillies could retain him and do what's needed to have him return, but depending on his potential contract, it might be better to let him go elsewhere.

Factor in that most contending teams around Major League Baseball could use his services, and there's a chance he might be a bit more expensive than some are expecting. 

The Boston Red Sox are among the many teams linked to Estevez. Jim Bowden of The Athletic was the latest to pair the two.

"Carlos Estévez had a strong free-agent walk year, posting a 2.38 ERA with the Angels before being traded at the deadline to Philadelphia, where he put up a 2.57 ERA over 20 games... Estévez has 82 career saves and will generate plenty of interest from teams looking for high-leverage relievers. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said it’s unlikely the club will bring back both Estévez and Jeff Hoffman, who is ranked 43rd on this list."

The Red Sox are in an interesting position, as they don't necessarily need to spend big money on a reliever. While they had a disappointing campaign, there's reason to believe they could play better in 2025. However, until they do so, spending the predicted $33 million over three years for Estevez would raise some questions if they didn't do more in free agency elsewhere.

The best scenario for Philadelphia would be for him to depart to a team in the American League. If he signed with a club in the National League, there's a good chance the Phillies would be directly impacted by that.

He impressed during his short stint with the team, including in the postseason. He allowed just one earned run over 2 2/3 innings pitched in the National League Division Series.

Philadelphia might view him as somebody they can allow to walk. They moved a few decent prospects for him along the way, but it wasn't like they traded any of their top five guys.

He'd be a nice piece, but that money could be better spent elsewhere.