PHILLIES BOLSTER BULLPEN WITH ESTEVEZ
The Philadelphia Phillies acquired pitcher Carlos Estevez from the Los Angeles Angels for pitchers George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri.
What does it give the Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have found their closer! Philadelphia is all in on winning a World Series this season, and adding Estevez could put them over the top. He is a hard-throwing right-hander who has been closing for the Angels the past two seasons. He should push Jeff Hoffman and Jose Alvarado into full-time setup roles, giving the Phillies one of the strongest back ends of a bullpen. The only question left to answer is if anyone can beat the Phillies now?
What does it give the Los Angeles Angels
The Angels got a very strong haul for Estevez. Both Klassen and Aldegheri are top pitching prospects. Klassen can touch 100 mph on the radar gun, plus a curve and a slider. He had a 1.97 ERA with 89 Ks in 59.1 innings split between high Single-A and Single-A ball. Aldegheri is a left-handed pitcher from Italy. He has boasted huge strikeout numbers in the minors this year, with his four-pitch mix. Walks can be an issue, but he should be able to overcome that.
Fantasy impact
Expect Estevez to become the primary closer in Philly, increasing his value. There should be more leads to protect on a much better team. On the other hand, this will hurt Alvarado and Hoffman, with fewer opportunities for saves, putting a ceiling on their value. Klassen and Aldegheri look to both be on track to be starters in MLB. Klassen especially could be worth a look in dynasty leagues. With both young pitchers being in the low minors, fantasy owners will have to wait to see if their potential is fulfilled down the road.
