Philadelphia Phillies Might Target Angels' Star Closer as Deadline Acquisition

If the Philadelphia Phillies want to upgrade their bullpen before the trade deadline, then they might look at a star closer who should become available.

Jun 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (53) reacts after striking out Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux (9) in the 10th inning earning a save in the game at Dodger Stadium / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies will certainly be buyers before the trade deadline.

What positions they are going to target, who they might be interested in, and how much they are willing to ship out are the only unknowns that remain.

Contending teams will always look for relief help, and the Phillies should be no different.

Despite ranking eighth in the MLB in bullpen ERA (3.49), there have been a lot of innings put on the arms of their main contributors already this season, and without a true go-to closer, the backend still has some questions that need to be addressed.

If Dave Dombrowski and his front office are looking to sure-up the closer role, then they might be looking at current Los Angeles Angels star Carlos Estevez.

According to Robert Murray of FanSided, they are "listening" to offers for the right-hander after he won the AL Reliever of the Month award in June with an impressive 0.00 ERA across 10 outings and a perfect 8-for-8 on save opportunities.

Estevez has become an elite option since joining the Angels ahead of the 2023 season.

During his tenure in Los Angeles, he's posted a 3.63 ERA and 122 ERA+ while converting 47 of his 54 save opportunities. Playing out the final year of his contract, the veteran reliever becomes a great rental option for any team looking to boost their bullpen.

Philadelphia should certainly inquire about what it would take to land him.

Estevez could slide into the closer role and allow manager Rob Thomson to utilize Jose Alvarado during different high-leverage situations whenever that arises, getting his team out of tough jams while still having an elite shutdown-man available.

Because he's an upcoming free agent, it shouldn't cost a whole lot for the Phillies to land him.

Dombrowski and Philadelphia are in an interesting spot when it comes to how they want to approach the second half of this season.

They clearly are good enough to win the World Series, and past history of the executive indicates that he's going to go "all in" to ensure his team has the best chance to do so. But, the Phillies have also done a great job of rebuilding their farm system with young talent after it was considered one of the worst in the league.

How many of those prospects they're willing to part ways with is unknown, which is why Estevez could be a real option since it likely wouldn't cost a haul to get him from the Angels.