Potential Phillies Estevez Replacement Should Be Buy Low Addition This Offseason

The Philadelphia Phillies could replace Carlos Estevez with the aging veteran who threw at a high level last year.

Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (53) pitches in the eighth inning against the New York Mets during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Losing Carlos Estevez would be difficult for the Philadelphia Phillies after they traded a decent package for him at the deadline.

It was uncertain if they viewed him as a rental, but from the looks of things, that might be the case.

It's tough to justify not bringing him back, but the Phillies believed they were in a position to win a World Series and decided to go all in with the move.

It wasn't the wrong decision, but a few months later, they might pay the price.

Him departing leaves an open spot in the back end of Philadelphia's bullpen. They could turn to someone internal to take over the closer duties, but with a few closers on the market who have more experience than most of the Phillies bullpen could offer, signing someone else would be wise.

They're lucky multiple closers are available.

That isn't common in free agency, and considering the type of arms they could land, they should be in a good position to find similar production that Estevez brings.

Of the pitchers available, Kirby Yates is at the top of that list.

He was believed to be a target for Philadelphia during the deadline, but he wasn't moved.

The right-hander was once viewed as one of the best relievers in Major League Baseball, but injuries slowed him down a bit.

Yates was elite again in 2024, which makes his free agency difficult to predict.

Despite how well he performed this past campaign, teams might not be willing to give him the money he's looking for based on his injury history.

However, David Schoenfield of ESPN believes someone needs to give him a look, writing that he's the "best veteran" to bet on.

"His four-seamer/splitter combo dominates even without premium velocity and batters hit just .113 against him in 2024. [Blake] Treinen's past shoulder issues are a bigger concern than Yates' elbow -- and I'd worry a bit about all the innings Treinen pitched in the postseason. [Kenley] Jansen, while reasonably effective in 2024 with a 3.29 ERA, wasn't at the level of Yates and Treinen, so even though he's probably the safest choice in regard to health, I like the potential for dominance that Yates and Treinen offer."

Schoenfield touched on the other names available, who also can't be ignored.

If the Phillies were to walk away from free agency with any of those three, that'd be a decent offseason.

There would be risk in landing a closer of Yates's age, but there are risks in all free agency signings.