Bullpen Upgrade: Yankees Eyeing Top-Tier Closer to Bolster Bullpen
Bolstering their bullpen has to be among the New York Yankees’ biggest priorities this offseason; if only because they’re losing three of their top relievers (Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Tim Hill) to free agency.
Luke Weaver has done more than enough to be the Yankees’ closer in 2025. However, New York fans have a right to be worried about whether Weaver can repeat the 2.89 ERA he produced during the 2024 regular season (and his 1.76 postseason ERA), given that he has a 4.85 ERA across his MLB career.
Surely much of this success has been owed to the mechanical changes (eliminating his leg kick to use more of a slide step and changing the grip to his four-seam fastball) during the past offseason. Regardless of this, the Yankees would be wise to add another top-tier reliever this winter.
And MLB.com’s Jon Morosi revealed that the Yankees are already targeting one free agent hurler.
“Carlos Estévez is among the (many) free agent relievers in whom the Yankees have interest as the offseason begins,” Morosi wrote on X.
This isn’t the first time Estévez has been linked to the Yankees, as MLB.com senior insider Mark Feinsand listed him as a potential fit for the New York in an October 21 article.
“Estévez had a 2.45 ERA and 26 saves between the Angels and the Phillies in 2024, posting a sub-1.000 WHIP over 55 innings. He’s shown the ability to close or work as a setup man, but he should be one of the more coveted closers on the market this offseason,” Feinsand wrote.
There will likely be a large market for Estévez this winter. But the Yankees managing to bring him on board would constitute a great start to their “offseason shopping list”.
