New York Yankees Urged To Poach Philadelphia Phillies Closer in MLB Free Agency

The New York Yankees would be a great fit for the Philadelphia Phillies reliever.

Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman before game one against the Los Angeles Dodgers the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies might have the top two right-handed relievers on the free agency market this winter. With Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman potentially leaving the squad for a different team in the offseason, things will be challenging for the Phillies.

Not only were they big pieces to Philadelphia's bullpen throughout the campaign, but many contending teams will be interested in both of them, as having a right-handed reliever who does what they do isn't very common around Major League Baseball. 

The unfortunate part about having two top relievers on the market is that contending teams usually have money to spend. Think of teams like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and others as potential suitors.

The Phillies have proven they're willing to spend with any of those teams for certain players, but that might not be the case for two relievers. 

Regarding the Yankees, they're expected to be in the mix for a closer and other relief arms throughout the offseason. They had some struggles in their bullpen throughout the campaign, leading them to need at least one other guy to come in and make an impact for them. 

Estevez could be just that, as they had interest in him during the trade deadline. 

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com linked the two over the weekend, naming New York a fit for him.

"Estévez had a 2.45 ERA and 26 saves between the Angels and the Phillies in 2024, posting a sub-1.000 WHIP over 55 innings. He’s shown the ability to close or work as a setup man, but he should be one of the more coveted closers on the market this offseason."

If Estevez were to leave for the Yankees, it wouldn't be the worst outcome for Philadelphia. Losing any player to New York is always rough for a Phillies fan, but if he doesn't go to a team in the National League, that's much better than if he did.

Either way, it'll be disheartening, as they sent a decent package to land him at the deadline.

Factor that in with the unlikelihood of replacing him, it'd be the cherry on top.

However, even if they lose him, there's a real opportunity for them to find somebody better, even if it costs them a bit more.

That could also be via a trade, as they have some prospects they could look to move along the way. Whether they want to move top prospects remain to be seen, but it's an option.