The Philadelphia Phillies sent a decent prospect package to the Los Angeles Angels to acquire closer Carlos Estévez at the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline. But with the hard-throwing righty on an expiring contract, it had to be expected he could leave in free agency this winter.
While the Phillies may still try to pursue him, they might not have the money to comfortably do so. Estévez is projected to sign for three years and $42 million this winter, per Spotrac. Philadelphia already has a lot of money tied up in its stars.
If the righty opts to leave the City of Brotherly Love, where could he go?
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Cincinnati Reds are among the teams pursuing Estévez.
The Reds seemingly entered a win-now mode when they brought in legendary manager Terry Francona to manage the ball club. With a talent like Elly De La Cruz and an ace like Hunter Greene on the roster, Cincinnati has the building blocks to work with. But the Reds need quite a bit more talent, which will include a bit more spending if they want to win games.
Adding Estévez to help secure the end of games would be huge for the Reds. They already have Alexis Diaz, who can be one of the better closers in baseball when everything is clicking.
Cincinnati traded pitcher Fernando Cruz earlier this winter to bring in backup catcher Jose Trevino. If the Reds pony up the money to acquire Estévez, he would be the best replacement for Cruz in Cincinnati's bullpen.
More MLB: Phillies Predicted To Pursue $54 Million Closer To Replace Carlos Estévez
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