The Reds are among the teams with interest in free agent reliever Carlos Estévez, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Blue Jays and Yankees have also been tied to the All-Star righty this offseason.
Estévez is one of the better unsigned relievers. The 32-year-old has been a reliable back-end option for the Angels and Phillies over the last two years. Estévez turned in a 3.90 ERA with 31 saves and a plus 27.8% strikeout rate for the Halos in 2023. He was off to an even stronger start last year, working to a 2.38 ERA while fanning 25.8% of batters faced through the trade deadline.
Los Angeles dealt Estévez to the Phillies for a pair of well-regarded pitching prospects. His finish in Philadelphia was more solid than great. While he turned in a 2.57 ERA across 21 frames for the Phils, Estévez’s strikeout percentage dropped to a mediocre 20.5% clip. Despite the middling finish, Estévez still has a solid case for a three-year deal in the $30MM range.
The relief market has yet to get going in earnest. Tanner Scott and Jeff Hoffman are at the top of the class. Estévez is arguably the #3 free agent reliever, while Kirby Yates and David Robertson will be available on short-term deals at a lofty salary.
Cincinnati had a decent relief group in 2024. They ranked 18th in earned run average despite the difficulty of pitching at Great American Ball Park. Reds relievers ranked ninth with a 24.3% strikeout rate. They subtracted one of their top setup arms when they dealt Fernando Cruz to the Yankees for backup catcher Jose Trevino.
A full season from breakout candidate Tony Santillan could be a major boost in front of closer Alexis Díaz. Veterans Emilio Pagán and Brent Suter are back, as is lefty Sam Moll. The Reds have a few openings in the middle relief group, though. Adding another reliever is sensible, though it’s not clear if there’s room in the budget to make a legitimate push for Estévez. RosterResource calculates Cincinnati’s payroll around $106MM, about $6MM above where they finished last season. After acquiring Gavin Lux from the Dodgers this week, general manager Nick Krall said the front office has “a little bit (of flexibility), not a ton” from a payroll perspective (via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer).
