Position: RHP B/T: R/R
Age: 31 (12/28/1992)
2024 Traditional Stats: 54 G, 55 IP, 2.45 ERA, 0.909 WHIP, 4-5, 50 SO, 12 BB
2024 Advanced Stats: 171 ERA+, 23.6 K%, 5.7 BB%, 3.24 xERA, 3.24 FIP, 4.09 xFIP, 1.2 fWAR
Heading into the trade deadline last July, Carlos Estévez was one of the top relievers that contending teams were trying to acquire for a postseason push. During his first half of the season with the Los Angeles Angels, the 31-year-old had a two-month stretch where he was one of the better bullpen arms in the game.
From June 1 to Aug. 1, Estévez did not allow a single earned run in 19 appearances. He threw 19 innings and had 16 strikeouts to two walks over that period while allowing just three hits (12-for-12 in saves). This prompted the Philadelphia Phillies to trade for him to bolster their already strong bullpen.
Even though Estévez wasn’t necessarily the only closer for the Phillies, he did get a chance to convert some saves. Over 20 games with the club, he was 6-for-8 in those opportunities while pitching to a 2.57 ERA with 18 strikeouts and seven walks over 21 innings.
Of course, Mets fans will remember Estévez from the playoffs, as he was the pitcher who allowed the grand slam to Francisco Lindor in Game 4 of the NLDS. In fact, New York scored a run in two of the three outings the right-hander had against them in that series.
When you look at Estévez’s pitch arsenal, he is a three-pitch pitcher (fastball, slider and changeup). Since he began his MLB career with the Colorado Rockies in 2016, his average fastball velocity has gone down in every single season (FanGraphs). With that being said, he used his slider more this past season than ever before (28.5%).
When MLB Trade Rumors did their contract projections for the top 50 free agents of the offseason, they had Estévez earning a three-year deal worth $27 million. If the Mets were to give him that deal, it would make him the second-highest paid reliever on the team behind their current closer, Edwin Díaz. Meanwhile, FanGraphs ranked him as the No. 40 free agent in the class with a projection of only a one-year deal around $9 million.
Estévez made $6.75 million each of the past two seasons and has brought in over $20 million during his career, meaning he is in line for another payday.
The New York Mets do need to add to their bullpen this winter and solidify the bridge to Díaz. They still have that need with the addition of Clay Holmes as a starter, but he has the fallback of pitching in the eighth inning if that role does not work out. At the same time, if the organization is going to go out and pay big money to other high-priced free agents, it might be tough for them to spend significantly on the bullpen.
If the Mets are looking for more swing-and-miss from their relievers, Estévez wouldn’t exactly fit what they are looking for. Last season, his 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings was way down from the 11.3 he had in 2023 when he made the All-Star team. In addition to that, his soft contact rate of 14% was the lowest of his career (FanGraphs).
With Estévez being one of the top closers on the market, it is tough to see him turning down an opportunity to remain in that role for a team if the money is similar. While the right-hander would be an upgrade for New York in their ‘pen, it is tough to see a world where Estévez lands with the team in 2025.
The post Free Agent Profile: Carlos Estévez, RP appeared first on Metsmerized Online.
