The Cincinnati Reds have one of the most exciting young cores in the National League. Elly De La Cruz is among their standouts, however, there is much more than just De La Cruz to be excited about. But the Reds still have room for improvement and adding an elite reliever in free agency would be a major boost.
Reds reportedly discussing a deal with Carlos Estevez
The Reds need help protecting late leads beyond Alexis Diaz. According to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Cincinnati has been discussing a deal with high-leverage free agent Carlos Estevez:
“The Cincinnati Reds are engaged in talks for free agent closer Carlos Estevez, who has saved 57 games the past two seasons,” Nightengale reported on X. This report corroborates one that was first posted by The New York Post’s Jon Heyman earlier this month which indicated that Cincinnati had an interest in the veteran reliever (h/t MLB Trade Rumors).
The 32-year-old reliever would be a big addition for the Reds. He had a 2.45 ERA last year between the Los Angeles Angels and the Philadelphia Phillies, striking out 50 batters.
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Estevez would be a great addition to the Reds’ relief corps
Estevez’s career 4.21 ERA comes with a big asterisk as he spent most of his MLB tenure with the Colorado Rockies, pitching in the thin air of Coors Field. He has posted 3.47, 3.90, and 2.45 ERAs in each of the last three seasons.
The Reds, meanwhile, have quietly had a positive offseason. They secured the returns of Nick Martinez and Brent Suter, traded for former top prospect Gavin Lux and defense-oriented backup catcher Jose Trevino, and also swung a deal with starter Brady Singer to round out their rotation.
They know that virtually every team in the NL Central, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, will try to be competitive. But if everybody is healthy, the Reds have a chance to take one of the National League’s Wild Card spots.
