The Philadelphia Phillies just saw their standout closer Carlos Estevez depart in free agency this winter.

Carlos Estevez leaves Phillies to join Royals bullpen

According to CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder, who relayed a pair of reports on the latest marquee free agent move, Estevez agreed to terms with the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday:

“Free-agent reliever Carlos Estévez has agreed to a deal with the Kansas City Royals, reports ESPN. It’s a two-year contract worth $20 million with a $13 million club option for a third year, according to MLB.com. The team has not yet announced the signing. Estévez was our 34th ranked free agent this offseason,” Snyder wrote.

Estevez will help Royals close games in 2025

The Royals will inherit a ninth-inning specialist who has notched volume saves in his last two seasons in the MLB. Last season was the first time that Estevez played under 60 games in four years. He collected 26 saves, which were five less than the 31 he earned in 2023.

He will help Kansas City improve upon the 41 saves they notched in the last campaign, which was ninth-most in the MLB. The 32-year-old will also provide the Royals with efficiency, should his praiseworthy 2.45 ERA and 0.909 WHIP carry over into the next campaign.

As for the Phillies, they’ll now look ahead to a bullpen that no longer features Estevez or 2024 All-Star Jeff Hoffman, but instead will see Jordan Romano headline their relief unit.