This free agent reliever was a trade deadline acquisition for the rival Philadelphia Phillies last season.
The Atlanta Braves are reportedly interested in a free-agent reliever. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Braves are interested in Carlos Estévez, a right-handed pitcher.
The 32-year-old pitcher divided his career year between the Los Angeles Angels and the Philadelphia Phillies. He made 54 appearances and had a 2.45 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts in 55 innings thrown.
Along with the Braves, the Angels are reportedly interested in bringing him back.
This signing would provide the Braves a solid right-handed fill-in while Joe Jimenez recovers from knee surgery.
There has been no report on what an agreement may look like. Last season, Estévez earned $6.75 million, according to Spotrac. They estimate his market value as $14 million per year for three years.
So that will give us an idea of what a deal may look like. It’s certainly possible.
There would be a benefit to an arrangement like this. Closer Raisel Iglesias will be a free agency after next season, and they will have another player ready to go if he walks with a similar contract value in this scenario.
However, it is a high price for a pitcher with only one season of consistent performance. He had a 4.47 lifetime ERA entering the 2024 season. In his defense, he was a member of the Colorado Rockies for nearly the whole period.
We saw improvement once he stopped throwing the majority of his games at Coors Field.
At the appropriate price, this may be a good deal for the Braves.
Along with Estévez, there have been indications that the organization is interested in left-handed pitcher Tanner Scott. It’s unclear if the Braves can afford both at their expected prices, but acquiring at least one of them would strengthen their bullpen.
