The New York Yankees went from having a stout bullpen to now needing replacements for their eighth and ninth-inning roles next season.
Yankees looking at former All-Star RHP Carlos Estevez in free agency
Yankees All-Star closer Clay Holmes and star reliever Tommy Kahnle are both predicted to depart in free agency this offseason. Thus, the Yankees are turning their attention to a standout bullpen talent formerly on the Philadelphia Phillies to help them pick up the pieces.
According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Yankees are closely looking at talented righty Carlos Esteves to add to their relief ranks (h/t Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors).
Estevez can help the Yankees replenish depleted bullpen
Estevez, 31, is coming off of a 2024 campaign where he notched 26 saves and earned a 4-5 record along with a stout 2.45 ERA and 50 strikeouts for the Los Angeles Angeles and the Phillies. He saw a total of 55 innings on the mound last season.
The Dominican talent finished with the tenth-most saves in the MLB and also sported a 2.1 WAR, the latter of which outpaced Holmes’ 0.7 WAR. Though Esteves fell just four saves short of matching the Yankees’ ninth-inning performer on the previous campaign, he’d be a formidable stand-in option to help New York capture World Series glory next season.
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Estevez is coming off of a two-year, $13.5 million contract he signed with the Angels in 2023. However, he could cost the Yankees even as much as $69 million on a multi-year deal, as Spotrac predicted (h/t Jon Conahan of Philadelphia Phillies on SI). The Yankees need bullpen help and could allocate dollars toward Estevez this offseason.
