The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to shake up their roster this season. The rumors have already come out that they could look to trade All-Stars Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos, but that might not be the end of the roster shakeup. Philadelphia has two key relievers hitting free agency this winter: Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez. Both right-handers were solid for the Phillies this season. FanSided’s Christopher Kline recently suggested the Phillies would cut ties with Estévez, while also suggesting they would be pretty happy with the decision. Estévez is projected to sign a three-year, $42 million deal this winter, per Spotrac. “In the end, however, Estévez (and the entire bullpen, frankly) came up small on the postseason stage,” Kline wrote.
“Estévez wasn’t necessarily the primary culprit for Philadelphia’s underperformance, but he was unable to string together outs in an important high-leverage spot, which led directly to the New York Mets’ swift 3-1 NLDS victory. He’s going to make a fine closer somewhere else in 2025.”
It may be a bit of a risky move to let Estévez walk in free agency, but with him projected to land a $42 million deal, Kline is probably right. That money could be used elsewhere on different players. Whether it be a starter, an infielder, or a different bullpen arm, wrapping up so much money in a closer may be too bit of a risk for Philadelphia to take. Especially if they can get an arm like Blake Treinen or Kirby Yates on a shorter deal.