Phillies land 2023 All-Star closer Carlos Estévez from Angels for pitching prospects

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Phillies acquired closer Carlos Estévez from the Los Angeles Angels for a pair of minor league pitching prospects on Saturday as they strengthen their bullpen for a run at their first World Series championship since 2008.

Estévez has 20 saves in 23 chances this season, a year after he had 31 saves and was an All-Star for the Angels.

The 31-year-old Estévez, a native of the Dominican Republic, originally signed with Colorado in 2011 and made his major league debut in 2016.

He has 76 saves in 418 appearances, all in relief.

“He’s one of the best relievers in baseball this past year,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “He’s a guy that can pitch the ninth inning. How (manager Rob Thomson) determines how he’s going to use him, we’ll see. It wouldn’t surprise me if he gets a lot of ninth innings.”

The Phillies lost the World Series in 2022 to Houston and lost in the NL Championship Series a year ago to Arizona. They entered Saturday’s game against Cleveland with the best record in baseball at 64-39 but had lost seven of 10 games.

“We are trying to win,” Dombrowski said. “We think he’s a guy that can be a real significant piece of that.”

Philadelphia sent minor league pitchers George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri to the Angels.

Estévez has a $6.75 million salary in the second season of a $13.5 million, two-year contract and can become a free agent after the World Series.

Estévez was expected to help strengthen a bullpen that lost an arm Friday, after they traded Seranthony Domínguez to Baltimore as part of a trade for outfielder Austin Hays. Thomson had not designated a closer this season as the Phillies became the first team in baseball to win 60 games. Behind left-hander José Alvarado and right-hander Jeff Hoffman

Estévez has 15 strikeouts and two walks over a streak of 18 straight scoreless innings. He set an Angels franchise record when he converted his first 23 save opportunities to begin the 2023 season.

Aldegheri, 22, was 6-7 with a 3.23 ERA in 15 starts between Class A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading this season. He signed by the Phillies on June 13, 2019.

The 22-year-old Klassen was 3-2 with a 1.97 ERA in 14 starts for Class A Clearwater and Jersey Shore this year. He was selected by the Phillies in the sixth round of the 2023 amateur draft and signed for a $297,500 bonus.

“We didn’t want to give them up, but it’s sort of the price of acquisitions at this time,” Dombrowski said.