Philadelphia Phillies Elite Reliever Predicted To Land Expensive $69 Million Contract

The Philadelphia Phillies might not feel comfortable giving their reliever this type of money.

Sep 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Carlos Estevez (53) reacts after getting the final out to defeat the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

When the Philadelphia Phillies traded for right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez, it made perfect sense.

Despite him being a rental option, as he'll hit free agency in the offseason, the Phillies needed help in the bullpen. 

There weren't many flaws on their roster before the trade deadline, and even if the bullpen wasn't necessarily bad, adding help to that department is always important for a contending team. 

It's unclear if they viewed that move as one to help them win a World Series or if they'd like to keep him around.

The logical thing to do would be to sign him to an extension in the offseason, but with many other suitors likely in place for him this winter, there will be tough competition.

That also means his price will be higher than they might be comfortable paying. 

Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic viewed Philadelphia making this move as one to help them win in October. He didn't add if that was the only reason they traded for Estevez, but the postseason was the main reason. 

"This feels like the quintessential Dombrowski trade. Need to upgrade a bullpen? Check. Trade away useful prospects in exchange for doing so? Check. Estévez’s fastball averages 96.4 mph, and he’s exactly the type of power arm the Phillies need. The draw here is clear. The Phillies are chasing a World Series, and they hope Estévez can help them win in October."

Estevez has perhaps been the most underrated relief pitcher in Major League Baseball.

He doesn't get talked about enough, but he's been lights out.

This is undoubtedly the best campaign of his career, which they also need to keep in mind. His current 2.25 ERA with the Phillies is almost two runs lower than his career ERA of 4.20.

Often, relievers put it together at some point, which he seems to have done.

But that makes his contract difficult to predict.

Spotrac released their predictions for pending free agents. Estevez's base calculated value came in at $69.5 million over five years.

Now, if Philadelphia signed him to that deal, it shouldn't be viewed as an overpay. However, that's a lot of money to give to someone who's had the best statistical season of his career.

With Jeff Hoffman also hitting the market, their money might be better spent keeping him around.

It's also important to note that throughout the past few offseasons, the Phillies haven't been afraid to spend money. If they want to keep Estevez, they'll figure out how to make something work.