Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Reliever Predicted to Sign With Arizona Diamondbacks
The Philadelphia Phillies have been fairly quiet this offseason despite having a desire to shake things up after a disappointing end to their season.
Coming into the postseason last year, the Phillies had World Series expectations. The franchise was able to control the National League East for most of the season, and this looked like a very complete team.
However, a couple of issues popped up for them against the New York Mets in the NLDS, and poor hitting from their outfield and the bullpen struggling cost them. Winning just one game in the playoffs was a massive disappointment for the organization.
While there wasn’t a big change or splash made to improve the outfield, the bullpen has seen a bit of a rework.
Jordan Romano was signed from the Toronto Blue Jays to take over as the new closer for Philadelphia. Considering they had two key relief pitchers from 2024 as free agents, that could have been an indication that they were looking to move on. ‘
So far, Jeff Hoffman has reportedly signed with the Blue Jays. There is a possibility that the Blue Jays will be transitioning him to a starting pitcher, despite being an All-Star reliever in 2024.
However, Carlos Estevez is still on the market and is one of the best relief pitchers still available.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently named the Arizona Diamondbacks as the perfect fit for Estevez in free agency.
“Evidently, the Snakes understand that they need another arm to pair with Justin Martinez, A.J. Puk and Kevin Ginkel. Estévez fits the bill, and there could be that much more money for him if they're able to offload all or some of Jordan Montgomery's $22.5 million salary.”
Like the Phillies, the Diamondbacks were a very good team in 2024. So far this offseason, they have made one of the biggest splashes of the winter by signing Corbin Burnes out of nowhere. Since they were just one game away from making the playoffs in 2024, the right-hander could be what they need to get over the top.
However, while Burnes is an ace and an excellent pitcher, they still need some help in the bullpen. Arizona has been linked to plenty of relief pitchers, but Estevez does make a lot of sense for them with his ability to close games if need be.
For the Phillies, they should still certainly be considering bringing the veteran right-hander back. While Romano might be a good closer, they will be pushing Orion Kerkering into a high-leverage role despite being very young.
As a team that wants to have a strong bullpen and compete in the National League, the Phillies should spend to keep Estevez.