As first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Los Angeles Angels closer Carlos Estévez in a trade. The Phillies are sending pitching prospects George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri to the Angels. The Phillies have wanted to add at least one high-leverage relief pitcher for some time. This need came into play even more after the Phillies sent Seranthony Domínguez to the Baltimore Orioles to acquire Austin Hays. Even with the Estévez trade, it would not be surprising to see the Phillies add another high-leverage relief pitcher. The Phillies want to win the World Series, and President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski is willing to do what he feels is necessary to help the team achieve that goal.
Phillies Acquire Angels Closer Carlos Estévez
In 34 games this season, Estévez has a 1-3 record with a 2.38 ERA and 20 saves. Estévez has a 180 ERA+ and a 2.85 FIP this season. In addition, Estévez has not allowed a run in his last 18 appearances. Estévez made the AL All-Star team last season as well. This season, Estévez has a 6.40 strikeout-to-walk ratio. It is worth noting that Estévez is a free agent after this season. Furthermore, giving up Klassen and Aldegheri in this deal is a costly price for a player who may only be with the Phillies for the rest of this season.
At Low-A Clearwater this season, Klassen had a 2-0 record with a 0.71 ERA and 57 strikeouts in nine starts. After being promoted to High-A Jersey Shore, Klassen had a 1-2 record with a 4.22 ERA and 32 strikeouts in five starts. Meanwhile, this season, Aldegheri had a 6-5 record with a 3.18 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 13 starts for High-A Jersey Shore. With Double-A Reading this season, Aldegheri had a 0-2 record, a 3.65 ERA, and 14 strikeouts in two starts. In 2022, the Phillies got Brandon Marsh and Noah Syndergaard from the Angels at the deadline. That year, the Phillies went to the World Series.
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