Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez was asked to hold a two-run lead in the final frame against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday. Estevez gave up a hit, but didn't have any problems after that as he recorded three strikeouts and notched his fifth save of the season. The right-hander has done a nice job lately and has locked himself in as the primary closer in Kansas City. He already has five saves, so it looks like he's going to be busy at the back-end of the bullpen. Estevez should be rostered in most fantasy formats where saves matter.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez has been busy on the mound early in the season. Estevez was called upon on Thursday to hold a one-run lead against the Minnesota Twins. The right-hander got himself into a jam by allowing a single and hitting Harrison Bader with a pitch. Despite that, Estevez worked around the base runners and secured his fourth save of the season. The veteran right-hander appears to be the primary closer for the Royals right now. That being said, Estevez should be rostered in most fantasy formats where saves matter.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez was ready to redeem himself after struggling on the mound during his last outing. Estevez was called upon to hold a three-run lead against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. The 32-year-old didn't have any issues as he tossed a scoreless inning with one strikeout to secure his second save of the season. It appears that Estevez is going to be the primary option for saves this season. However, Lucas Erceg could be a candidate as well if Estevez finds himself in trouble at some point. For now, Estevez should be a viable option for saves in fantasy formats where that matters.

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (back) made his Cactus League debut on Friday against the Los Angles Angels and said he felt great afterwards. Estevez gave up an unearned run and two hits while throwing 12 of his 19 pitches for strikes in an inning of work. "I feel great," Estvez said. "Everything is going well with my body, and I'm in a good spot. The 32-year-old veteran was delayed getting into games after experiencing mild back tightness in the early portion of camp. After signing a two-year, $22.2 million deal with KC in the offseason, Estevez figures to be their primary choice for saves, although Lucas Erceg and Hunter Harvey could also be involved. As long as his back doesn't flare up on him Estevez is expected to be ready for Opening Day on March 27. Fantasy managers should consider him a No. 2 closer option heading into his first year with the Royals.

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (back) threw a live batting practice session in camp on Tuesday, and manager Matt Quatraro said it went "really well." As a result, Estevez is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut on Friday against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels. The 32-year-old veteran has been battling lower-back tightness in spring training but appears to have put it past him as he tries to get ready for Opening Day in his first year with the Royals. He is running out of time to ramp up with only two weeks until the start of the 2025 regular season, but as long as Estevez doesn't have a setback with his back as he gets into games, he should be able to avoid starting the year on the injured list. Because of his (82 career saves in eight MLB seasons) and his strong year in 2024, he should be the favorite to close for the Royals, although Lucas Erceg could have something to say about that.

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (back) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session in camp on Tuesday and then will hopefully be able to make his Cactus League debut next Friday, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers. Estevez has slowly been ramping up in spring training due to lower-back tightness, but if he doesn't suffer any setbacks from here on out, the 32-year-old veteran could be ready for Opening Day in late March. At the very least, Estevez should be competing for saves with the Royals in his first year in KC with right-hander Lucas Erceg. The Dominican pitcher was solid in 2024 with a 2.45 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 26 saves, 50 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 55 innings with the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies. Estevez is more of a No. 2 closer in fantasy because of the fact he's not a lock for full-time closing duties, but he does have 82 career saves in eight big-league seasons.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (back) threw his "best" bullpen session on Wednesday and is set to complete his next session on Saturday. Estevez has been battling lower-back tightness since late-February. However, it appears the 32-year-old has been progressing well and may avoid missing time during the regular season. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status as he looks to ramp-up his workload. Earlier in the offseason, the Royals signed Estevez to a two-year $32 million contract. Given his salary, Estevez is expected to compete for a high-leverage role in the bullpen alongside Lucas Erceg. Last season, Estevez logged 55 innings to the tune of a 2.45 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. He tallied 50 punchouts but with a 3.19 xERA, which suggests he may face minor regression when he returns to the bump. If healthy, Estevez will compete for save opportunities with Erceg.

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (back) is dealing with mild lower-back tightness in camp, according to manager Matt Quatraro. It's the reason why Estevez hasn't made his Cactus League debut yet in Arizona. However, he threw off the mound on Wednesday and said he felt good. Quatraro said the Royals think there's plenty of time to "get him six to seven outings later in camp." The good news is relievers don't need as much time to ramp up. The bad news is that the 32-year-old could be in danger of missing Opening Day if he has any flare-ups once he gets into game action. After signing a two-year, $20.2 million deal in free agency, it's believed that Estevez will have a leg up for primary closing duties in his first year in KC, but Lucas Erceg could have something to say about that. RotoBaller has Estevez ranked as the No. 18 fantasy reliever.

According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, the Kansas City Royals will not have "defined" bullpen roles at the start of the season. Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro noted that both Carlos Estevez and Lucas Erceg will have opportunities to close at the start of the season. Earlier this week, the Royals signed Estevez to a two-year contract worth $20.2 million. Last season, the 32-year-old tallied 26 saves with a 2.45 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP across 55 innings. Lucas Erceg operated as the closer down the stretch for Kansas City last season and tallied 14 saves with a 3.36 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. The 29-year-old struck out 72 batters across 61 2/3 innings of work. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor their progress during spring training. However, it seems the Royals may opt to use the "hot hand" in the ninth inning, which can hinder both of their fantasy outlooks for the upcoming season.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Kansas City Royals are signing free-agent relief pitcher Carlos Estevez. Estevez has been one of the top relief pitchers on the open market during the offseason and had several suitors. However, the Royals were able to get a deal done. Last season, Estevez opened the 2024 campaign with the Los Angeles Angels before being shipped to the Philadelphia Phillies at the deadline. Across 55 innings, the right-hander posted an impressive 2.45 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. He tallied 50 punchouts and 26 saves with a strong 5.7% walk rate. However, the 32-year-old generated a hefty 10.1% barrel rate and 42.3% hard-hit rate, both well below the average marks, suggesting he may see some regression in 2025. Fantasy managers should expect Estevez to compete for save opportunities alongside Lucas Erceg in the Kansas City bullpen.

According to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit Tigers are showing interest in free-agent relief pitcher Carlos Estevez. Earlier in the offseason, the Tigers were interested in several relief pitchers, including Kirby Yates. Petzold noted that six other teams, alongside the Tigers, are pursuing Estevez. The Tigers have also been at the forefront of pursuing third baseman Alex Bregman. Last season, Estevez spent time with the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies. Across 55 frames, he posted a 2.45 ERA and 0.45 WHIP. While he showed strong command with a 5.7% walk rate, his hefty 42.3% hard-hit and 10.1% barrel rates suggest he may face some regression in 2025. If Estevez were to sign in Detroit, he would be deployed as a high-leverage reliever.

According to USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale, the Cincinnati Reds are engaged in talks with free-agent closer Carlos Estevez, who has saved 57 games the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies. Estevez was a first-time All-Star in 2023 and had a career-high 31 saves that year before combining for 26 saves with the Halos and Phillies in 2024. The Phillies acquired him from the Angels at the trade deadline last summer, and he had a combined 2.45 ERA (3.24 FIP), a 0.91 WHIP and a 50:12 K:BB in his 55 relief innings. In addition to the Reds, the Red Sox, Cubs, Blue Jays, Phillies and Yankees have been linked to the 32-year-old Dominican this offseason. He's one of the top high-leverage relief arms left on the open market, but he could share closing duties with Alexis Diaz if he were to land in Cincinnati.

According to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, the Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays are among the teams pursuing free-agent relief pitcher Carlos Estevez. Morosi noted that following the signings of A.J. Minter and Tanner Scott, the relief pitcher market is heating up. Morosi also reported that the Cubs offered Tanner Scott a four-year deal with $66 million, suggesting they remain focused on bolstering their bullpen. Earlier this offseason, the Blue Jays signed Jeff Hoffman to a three-year deal with $33 million. However, after missing out on several top free agents, they are still looking to further improve their team. Last season, Estevez tallied 26 saves with a 2.45 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP pitching for the Angels and Phillies. He generated a solid 3.19 xERA and a .220 xBA which were both above average but allowed hard contact at a hefty 42.3% rate. Estevez would likely be deployed as a high-leverage option where he signs.

According to Jon Heyman, the Cincinnati Reds have expressed interest in right-handed pitcher Carlos Estevez. Heyman noted that the Blue Jays are also among the interested suitors. Last season, the 32-year-old spent time with the Angels and the Phillies. Across 55 innings pitched, the reliever held a 2.45 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. He tallied 26 saves. Under the hood, he generated a high 42.3% hard-hit rate and 10.1% barrel rate, which suggests he may be due for some regression in 2025. However, he did show elite command with a 5.7% walk rate. If Estevez were to agree to a contract with Cincinnati, he would likely compete for save opportunities with Alexis Diaz, who posted a high 3.99 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP in 2024.

The Toronto Blue Jays are among a half dozen teams that are interested in free-agent closer Carlos Estevez, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. After letting former closer Jordan Romano walk into free agency after an injury-plagued season in 2024, the Jays could be looking to replace him with Estevez at the back of their bullpen. The Jays need to do something to help improve their team this offseason after a disappointing finish last year. The 32-year-old Estevez began last year with the Los Angeles Angels before being acquired at the trade deadline by the Philadelphia Phillies. He was a first-time All-Star in 2023 with the Halos and had a combined 2.45 ERA (3.24 FIP), 26 saves, a 0.91 WHIP and 50:12 K:BB in 55 relief innings in 2024. Estevez didn't see as many save chances with the Phils, but his improved walk rate is a good sign going forward. Depending on where he lands, he could have a shot to top 30 saves for the second time in his career.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Carlos Estevez grabbed his first save with the club on Thursday, working the ninth inning to preserve a 6-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Estevez did allow two hits and a run in this one, but he managed to escape without too much damage done. This was a very conventional save for Estevez, as the Phillies held a two-run lead in the seventh and eighth innings and used Jeff Hoffman and Jose Alvarado, the two relievers who had been battling for saves all year, and then turned to Estevez in the ninth. It's a great sign for his fantasy owners, as he appears to be the frontrunner for saves on a great Phillies team.

Philadelphia Phillies right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez said he's open to any role his new team gives him after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday in exchange for pitching prospects George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri. "However I can put a grain of sand onto this beautiful beach that these guys built, I'm down to whatever, man," Estevez said on Monday. Estevez had been pitching well for the Angels this year before the trade, posting a 2.38 ERA and 0.74 WHIP with 20 saves, but now that he's in Philadelphia, he's going to lose a good chunk of fantasy value in what will likely continue to be a committee approach in the ninth inning. The 31-year-old will be sharing closing duties most likely with Jose Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman.

The Los Angeles Angels traded relief pitcher Carlos Estevez to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. The Angels will be acquiring top pitching prospects George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri from Philadelphia. Aldegheri is Philadelphia's #23 prospect and has posted a 3.23 ERA in 78 IP between Single-A and Double-A this season. Klassen is Philadelphia's #28 prospect and has posted a 1.97 ERA in 59.1 IP for Single-A and Single-A+ in 2024. Estevez was one of the top relief arms on the market this season, posting a spectacular 2.80 ERA in 34 IP while accumulating 20 saves for the Angels. With recent struggles from Phillies' closer Jose Alvarado, Philadelphia's need to improve the backend of their bullpen became apparent. Estevez should receive plenty of chances to make an impact late in the game for the Phillies, potentially even taking over their closer role. Fantasy managers should ensure Estevez is in their lineup as he should get quite a few more opportunities for saves with one of the National League's best teams compared to his prior situation in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Carlos Estevez was called upon to protect a three-run lead versus the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. The right-hander walked the leadoff hitter but retired the next three batters to record his 18th save of the season. The 31-year-old is having a nice year in what has been a down year for the Halos. There is a good chance that Estevez does get moved at the upcoming trade deadline. That being said, his fantasy value as a closer could be ending. It's unknown whether or not his new team would want him as their primary ninth-inning option. That being said, fantasy managers should hold Estevez until further notice.

Los Angeles Angels closer Carlos Estevez worked a scoreless ninth in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Mariners, securing his 17th save of the season. The righty threw seven pitches in the frame, six for strikes, allowing no runs on zero hits and no walks while striking out one batter. After a few rough outings to begin the season, the 31-year-old has been terrific as he hasn't allowed a run to cross the plate since May 21 (which was an unearned run), a stretch of 15 scoreless appearances. He now owns a 2.61 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and a 23.7% K-BB% over 31 innings.