Philadelphia Phillies Reliever Predicted To Land $33 Million, Dodgers Among Suitors

The Philadelphia Phillies closer was predicted to land a hefty deal, with the Los Angeles Dodgers viewed as a fit.

Oct 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) is interviewed with NLCS Trophy after the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Mets during in six of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

It remains uncertain what the Philadelphia Phillies plan to do with Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez.

Dave Dombrowski hinted at it being unlikely that both will return, but if their prices aren't where he might be expecting them to be, it's possible they'll return.

Estevez and Hoffman were two high-level relief pitchers. While returning both would be the ideal scenario, relievers of their caliber often get paid well.

In the latest prediction from Jeff Bowden of The Athletic, Estevez landed a three-year deal for $33 million. He named a few potential fits, including the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"Carlos Estévez had a strong free-agent walk year, posting a 2.38 ERA with the Angels before being traded at the deadline to Philadelphia, where he put up a 2.57 ERA over 20 games. He finished the season with 26 saves and 0.909 WHIP, but also averaged 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings, the lowest rate of his career. Estévez has 82 career saves and will generate plenty of interest from teams looking for high-leverage relievers. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said it’s unlikely the club will bring back both Estévez and Jeff Hoffman, who is ranked 43rd on this list."

The Phillies losing Estevez wouldn't be the worst outcome if they re-signed Hoffman, but him on the Dodgers could become a potential issue.

With the chance of playing each other in an important playoff series, the last thing Philadelphia wants is to be shut down by Estevez in a big moment.

Los Angeles has proven they're willing to spend. If they want any free agent, the expectation is for them to always be in the mix. They also understand the value of elite relievers, making the pairing ideal.

Regarding his potential salary, $11 million AAV would be a fair price for a closer who posted a 2.57 ERA during his time with the Phillies.

Hoffman came in just below Estevez at three years and $27 million in Bowden's prediction, but he could favor Estevez due to having a longer history in closing games.

Whatever happens this offseason, at least one of them must return. If they were to only lose one, Philadelphia wouldn't have the toughest time replacing them.

Finding two right-handers who throw at the level they do could become a potential problem, so it's something they need to keep in mind.

It'll be interesting to see what happens, but expect both to have multiple suitors.