Though the Phillies’ bullpen was one of the most dominant in Major League Baseball during the regular season, they struggled in the playoffs. Their two high-leverage stars, Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman, then both promptly became free agents.

Hoffman is a more complicated case because he might become a starter for his new team, but Estévez is there if the Phillies still want him. Jordan Romano joined Philadelphia on a one-year contract, but Estévez would override him on the closer depth chart.

However, one recent free agency prediction sees Estévez instead heading to a National League rival.

On Thursday, Will Laws and Nick Selbe of Sports Illustrated predicted that Estévez would head to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who lack a true closer, for the 2025 season.

“Estévez was on the wrong end of one of the postseason’s defining moments, giving up a grand slam to Francisco Lindor in the NLDS,” the authors wrote.

“But don’t let that fool you: this is a top-end closer. Getting out of Colorado did wonders for Estévez’s career, as the righthander posted a 3.22 ERA with 57 saves over the past two seasons with the Angels and Phillies.”

Estévez just finished up his best season as a big-leaguer, tossing a 2.45 ERA in 55 innings of work with a minuscule 0.91 WHIP. He was an All-Star in 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels and at 6-foot-6, 277 pounds, is one of the most gigantic pitchers in the game.

The Phillies know firsthand how pesky the D-Backs can be, because they lost the NLCS to them in seven games in 2023. Arizona’s bullpen was lights-out that October, and with Estévez in the closer’s role, they could be again.

Of course, there’s a simple solution if the Phillies want to keep Estévez out of Arizona’s clutches: pay the man.