Carlos Estevez Heading To Phillies For 2 Pitching Prospects
On Friday, the Phillies made their first move of the trade deadline by acquiring OF Austin Hays. They were not finished. A little over 24 hours later they added again, this time acquiring Angels Closer Carlos Estevez in exchange for pitching prospects George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri.
After the Hays move, a relief pitcher became the obvious next move. Especially considering they had to move Seranthony Dominguez to get Hays. Dave Dombrowski certainly made that happen.
What To Know About Carlos Estevez
Estevez was one of the best relievers on the market. He currently boasts a 2.38 ERA across 34 innings for 20 saves. He finished 2023 with a 3.9 ERA and 31 saves. It was his 2nd season in LA, after spending 6 seasons with the Rockies.
The thing Phillies fans will really like about is how rarely he walks people. His walk rate of just 4% is elite and would be among the best in the league if he had enough innings to qualify. He has walked only 5 batters so far this season.
Estevez has a 3 pitch reptiore. The 4-seamer, which sits around 96 mph, is his most used pitch. But he also has an 89 mph slider that he gets people to whiff on almost 30% of the team. He only uses his changeup 10% of the time, and only against lefties. But those lefties hit under .200 against it. In fact, hitters hit under .200 against all 3 of his pitches.
As Corey Seidman points out in the below Tweet, his numbers have been even better over the last 2 months.
Carlos Estevez will be a free agent at the end of the season, which might be what made his price tag so reasonable.
Will he be a closer here? That we do not know yet. Rob Thomson does not like to use just 1 guy as a closer. That could change after bringing in Estevez, but he could decide he wants to use Estevez as just a general high-leverage guy.
What Did They Give Up?
Samuel Aldegheri, ranked 12th in the Phillies system, is 22 and had just been promoted to AA. He projects to be a back-of-the-rotation starter. Walks have plagued him to this point in his career, with 34 already in 2024. But he has also been very good at missing bats, with over 100 strikes.
George Klassen is their 7th-best prospect and is also 22. He has a fastball that can touch triple digits. He also has a curveball and a slider. All 3 of his pitches can punch a hitter out. He currently has a 1.87 ERA across 59.1 innings in Low and High A.
Both guys have so far turned in tremendous seasons in 2024. But they were both ranked outside the top 20 before the season started and were still in Single-A. Only as 22-year-olds in Single A did they finally start to climb the rankings.
They could turn into something down the line. But the Phillies got a high-end closer without giving up any of their best assets. They managed to add a solid Right Handed Bat and a great closer without giving up any of the big 3, Aidan Miller, Andrew Painter, and Justin Crawford. They didn’t even have to move Staryln Caba or Mick Abel yet. That is a win.
The trade deadline is Tuesday. we will see if the Phillies have any other moves in the works.
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Phillies All-Star Break Check-In: Analyzing Every Position Group
Starting Pitchers
The starting rotation carried the Phillies into a solid NL East lead with an otherworldly effort during the early months of the season. Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, and Cristopher Sanchez dominated throughout the first half.
The Phillies reached the break with the best ERA among starting pitchers in the majors at 3.22.
Wheeler, Suarez, and Sanchez all posted ERAs under 3.00. All three earned National League All-Star selections.
“I think most teams get that way when their rotation’s going well. They get on a roll. They want to sort of outdo each other. It’s kind of a competition amongst each other, so I think that’s a good thing.” -Rob Thomson
Phillies All-Star Break Check-In: Starting Pitchers
Position Players
The Phillies averaged 4.97 runs per game before the break, sitting third behind only the juggernaut New York Yankees and a sliver behind the pesky Arizona Diamondbacks.
They’re about where most analysts would’ve predicted, but a different context shows the real accomplishment of their offensive performance leading into the MLB All-Star Break. Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Brandon Marsh all spent time on the injured list early in the season.
While the pitching staff stayed relatively healthy, the Phillies impressively withstood a barrage of injuries to lineup regulars.
The Phillies rank third in batting average, tied for third in OPS, and sixth in home runs despite five lineup regulars missing a combined 96 games.
Phillies All-Star Break Check-In: Position Players
Bullpen Pitchers
Outstanding individual performances during the first half define the Phillies bullpen much more than collective numbers can.
Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm earned unlikely All-Star selections as relievers who haven’t racked up saves because of their usage in Philadelphia. Orion Kerkering additionally reached the break with a sub-2.00 ERA.
Jose Alvarado has tripped up in a handful of bad outings, but he’s still holding onto one of the most trusted roles in a well-rested and poised bullpen capable of carrying the Phillies on a World Series run.
How will the Phillies bullpen take shape before Red October? It’ll be one of the most interesting and impactful storylines to follow during the second half of the season.
Phillies All-Star Break Check-In: Bullpen Pitchers
Bench Players
The starting rotation has carried the Phillies in 2024. The offense has impressively withstood injuries to remain toward the top of the league. The defense has shown significant improvement, and the bullpen looks poised for another run in Red October.
The bench hasn’t come together like the other units have. Thomson doesn’t seem to have found a rhythm and fully determined his level of trust in his reserves.
Dave Dombrowski will likely trade for a right-handed outfielder to cover his mistake with Whit Merrifield.
The organization needs to make additional decisions about Cristian Pache, Kody Clemens, Garrett Stubbs, and Weston Wilson before the postseason.
Phillies All-Star Break Check-In: Bench Players
