This veteran reliever has become a complete closer with the KC Royals

A year ago, just as the midsummer trade deadline period began heating up, a dangerously unsteady bullpen threatened the surprising Kansas City Royals' suddenly legitimate playoff hopes. Manager Matt Quatraro's relief corps needed help — without new and effective bullpen blood, getting back to postseason play, territory the club hadn't reached since winning the 2015 World Series, might have had to wait for at least another year.

Fortunately, general manager J.J. Picollo found just the pitcher he needed when, with the precious final hours of the deadline period ticking away, he sent three prospects, including promising reliever Will Klein, to the A's for Lucas Erceg. Not a marquee name at the time, Erceg took control of the back end of the pen by saving 11 games down the stretch to help Kansas City snare a Wild Card berth.

Acquiring Erceg was somewhat surprising. As is invariably the case at each season's trade deadline, there was no real market shortage of relievers when Picollo pulled the trigger on his deal with the A's. Most were more experienced than Erceg, whose only three pre-trade big league saves had come in 2024. Take, for example, Carlos Estévez, the eight-season veteran the Angels shipped to Philadelphia just three days before KC landed Erceg. Whether the Royals checked in on Estévez isn't known, but he and his 20 saves and excellent 2.38 ERA were clearly on the market.

But despite his good 2024 credentials, Estévez wasn't free of concern. As we noted in a deadline story panning the notion of trading for him, and although he'd become stingy for the Angels, a tendency to surrender too many runs tainted his major league career. Four times had he posted season ERAs exceeding 5.00 (including a disastrous 7.50 in 26 games in 2020), and the 3.90 he pitched to for the Angels in 2023 was better, but still concerning for a late-inning reliever.

The Royals, we opined, could do better. But that was then. Now, things have changed, and the club is better for it.

Carlos Estévez has become better than just good with the KC Royals

Estévez helped the Phillies to the playoffs, but his Philadelphia stay was short — after working in three National League Division Series games for the Phils, he tested free agency and ended up in Kansas City on a two-season deal with a 2027 team option. And despite Erceg's clutch late-season 2024 performance as KC's prime closer, Estévez quickly moved into that role for his new club.

At no time has his superiority as a closer been more obvious than in the last few days. Figuring prominently in Kansas City's impressive rebound from an embarrassing six-loss homestand, he saved three straight games without a rest, brushing aside Texas in a pair of three-up, three-down ninth-inning appearances before overcoming a leadoff home run by Manny Machado in the ninth to secure KC's 6-5 Friday night victory over San Diego.

That Friday save was Estévez's 22nd of the season and gave him the major league lead over San Diego closer Robert Suarez's 21. Estévez is certainly within reach of the career high of 31 he set with the Angels in 2023.

But that's not all. Opposing hitters are averaging only .187 against him, his 1.10 WHIP is good, and his advanced pitching run value metrics are excellent.

And what about that propensity to hand opponents too many runs? It's disappeared — in only two of his 33 appearances has he surrendered more than one run, and his ERA through Sunday stands at a nifty 2.14, a number so much better than the career 4.21 mark he carried into this season.

So it is that Estévez has become, at least for now, a complete closer for the Royals. They'll need him to maintain that form if they are to make a serious run at a second consecutive playoff berth.