Right-hander Carlos Estévez has apparently found a new home in the AL Central as the free agent reliever market starts to thin out with Spring Training approaching. Jeff Passan of ESPN claims that Estévez and the Royals have reached an agreement on a contract.
According to reports, the deal is a two-year agreement with a $20 million club option for a third year, with the option worth $13 million (plus a $2 million buyout, which would increase the two-year deal to $22 million if the Royals don’t exercise the option).
The Los Angeles Dodgers officially announced Kirby Yates’ contract with them earlier today, and Estévez’s joining the Royals comes after the Dodgers added Yates and southpaw Tanner Scott to their already strong bullpen corps this winter.
Estévez has been in the major leagues for eight years. The Colorado Rockies signed the Dominican product as a free agent in 2011 to start his career. The right-hander, who made his debut in 2016, has been in the bullpen his whole career and has had trouble settling into the Rockies’ hitter-friendly Coors Field environment. His 2018 season was marred by injuries, and he was either in triple-A or on the injured list the entire time before joining the Rockies for the 2019 campaign.
Carlos Estévez, a reliever, is said to have agreed to a two-year contract with the Kansas City Royals.
Estévez became the Los Angeles Angels’ preferred closer after signing a two-year, $13.5 million contract with them as a free agency during the 2022–2023 offseason. The closer ended the season with a 3.90 ERA via 63 appearances, 31 saves, and an 11.3 K/9 over 62 1/3 innings worked, following a fantastic start to the season that earned him a spot on the All-Star squad.
Estévez had his best season to date last season, recording a 2.38 ERA in 34 appearances with the Angels, 20 saves, and a 0.735 WHIP. Estévez is a Dominican product. He continued his stellar run, giving up only six earned runs in 21 innings pitched, good for a 1.190 WHIP, before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at the deadline. All all, he would end the season with 54 appearances, a 2.45 ERA, a 3.24 FIP, 50 strikeouts, and just 12 walks.
In addition, he made three appearances for the Phillies in their NLDS series against the Mets, striking out four batters and giving up just one earned run in two 2/3 innings.
Estévez will likely put himself in a position to finish games with his new squad after joining a Royals bullpen that includes players like Hunter Harvey, Chris Stratton, John Schreiber, and Lucas Erceg.
