Free-agent reliever Carlos Estévez has agreed to a deal with the Kansas City Royals, reports ESPN. It’s a two-year contract worth $20 million with a $13 million club option for a third year, according to MLB.com. The team has not yet announced the signing. Estévez was our 34th ranked free agent this offseason.
Estévez, 31, will join a Kansas City bullpen that has undergone a makeover since last summer’s trade deadline. He’ll pair up with deadline additions Lucas Erceg and Hunter Harvey in the late innings, and presumably take over as the team’s closer.
Manager Matt Quatraro can align his relievers along these lines:
Estévez, 31, was an All-Star as Angels closer in 2023 and spent time closing for both the Angels and Phillies last season. Between the two stops, he saved 26 games in 31 chances with a 2.45 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 50 strikeouts against eight unintentional walks in 55 innings. He hasn’t been on the injured list since 2022 and hasn’t had any elbow or shoulder issues since 2018, a relative miracle for a pitcher these days.
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Though he was mostly good since joining the Phillies in front of the trade deadline, Estévez did have a high-profile failure to close the season. He was the pitcher who came in to face Francisco Lindor with the bases loaded and the season on the line, only to allow a grand slam that ended up sending the Mets to the NLCS and the Phillies home.
Still, overall, Estévez has the stuff to be one of the best closers in baseball in 2025 and likely a few years after that.
The Royals went 86-76 in 2024 and reached the postseason for the first time since 2015.