Philadelphia Phillies Pitcher Named ‘Most Overrated’ Player on MLB Free Agency Market

The Philadelphia Phillies right-hander is elite, but some view him as overrated.

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

It's almost time for the Philadelphia Phillies to reveal their winter plans. They'll need to improve in a few areas, as this team was much further away from winning a World Series than it seemed throughout the regular season. 

By no means should the Phillies decide to blow this thing up. At most, it might be a better idea for them to trade a guy or two and see if they could improve in areas of need.

Improving on the margins is often more important than anything else, as in terms of star talent, Philadelphia is at its peak. 

There are only so many star players a team could sign, as the rest of the roster eventually has to step up. 

Regarding marginal players, Carlos Estevez is at the top of the list. The right-hander is set to hit the free agency market this winter after the Phillies traded for him at the deadline.

They understood they needed another right-handed arm in the back end of their bullpen, and not only did they find one, but they arguably got the best pitcher traded at the deadline. 

However, Estevez wasn't as impressive as he was before the team landed him. That was almost impossible to do, as there was a strong argument to be made that he was the top bullpen arm in baseball.

That's why Matt Higgins of Sportsnaut named Philadelphia's closer among the "most overrated" free agents on the market. 

"Carlos Estévez was one of the best relievers at the trade deadline. He was supposed to shore up the backend of the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels. However, the Phillies didn’t get the same pitcher he was with the Angels. Estévez averaged 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings, the lowest of his career. He will always be remembered in Philadelphia for surrendering a grand slam to Francisco Lindor in Game 4 of the NLDS that propelled the Mets to the NLCS. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden predicts Estévez will receive a three-year, $33 million deal."

Regarding his numbers, Estevez still threw the baseball at a high level during his time with the Phillies. In his 20 appearances, he posted a 2.57 ERA and struck out 18 hitters in 21.0 innings pitched.

It'd be tough to replace him, but as Higgins touched on, if he gets what he's predicted, it might be a better idea to give that money to Jeff Hoffman and try to find a cheaper reliever to replace the Dominican Republic native.