The All-Star reliever has agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract with the Kansas City Royals, with a $13 million club option for a third year, per reports from ESPN and MLB.com. The team has yet to officially announce the signing. Estévez, 31, was ranked as the 34th-best free agent this offseason.
He joins a Royals bullpen that has been revamped since last year’s trade deadline, where the team added Lucas Erceg and Hunter Harvey. Estévez is expected to take over as Kansas City’s closer, with manager Matt Quatraro structuring his relief corps as follows:
- Closer: Carlos Estévez
- Setup: Lucas Erceg, Hunter Harvey
- Middle Relief: Sam Long, John Schreiber, Chris Stratton, Angel Zerpa
- Long Relief: Daniel Lynch IV
- Depth: Steven Cruz, Carlos Hernández, James McArthur
Estévez was an All-Star as the Angels’ closer in 2023 and split time between the Angels and Phillies in 2024. Across both teams, he converted 26 saves in 31 chances, posting a 2.45 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts against eight unintentional walks over 55 innings. Notably, he has avoided the injured list since 2022 and hasn’t had any major arm issues since 2018—a rarity for modern pitchers.
While he had an overall strong 2024 campaign, Estévez endured a crushing moment in the postseason, surrendering a season-ending grand slam to Francisco Lindor that eliminated the Phillies and sent the Mets to the NLCS. Despite that, his arsenal and track record suggest he has the potential to be one of MLB’s top closers in 2025 and beyond.
The Royals are coming off an 86-76 season in which they made the playoffs for the first time since their 2015 World Series title. Adding Estévez strengthens their bullpen as they look to build on last year’s success.
