Cubs Moving on to Next Free Agent Closer

After losing out on Tanner Scott to the Los Angeles Dodgers the Chicago Cubs are now moving their attention to free agent closer Carlos Estévez.

The Cubs reportedly did go out of their comfort zone when pursuing Scott, who ultimately signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Dodgers. The Cubs, who have not signed a free agent reliever to more than a three-year contract since Craig Kimbrel in 2019, are said to have offered Scott a $66 million deal over four years.

Now that Scott is off to LA, the Cubs are shifting their focus to Estévez, the 32-year-old righty who has 57 saves in the past two seasons. MLB Network's Jon Morosi, who was all over the recent interest by the Cubs in Tanner, reported on Sunday that Estévez is on the Cubs' radar.

Carlos Estévez’s free agent market is intensifying, following the Tanner Scott and A.J. Minter signings in recent days.

The Blue Jays and Cubs — both of whom had interest in Scott — are among several teams pursuing Estévez.@MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 19, 2025

Estévez began his MLB career with the Colorado Rockies, pitching for the NL West club from 2016-22. The right-hander has found recent success, posting a 3.22 ERA from 2023-24.

In 2024, Estévez recorded a 2.45 ERA in 54 games between his time with the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies. He lowered his walk rate, which was at 11% in 2023 and sits at 9% during his career to 5.7%, which is good to see. However, the strikeout rate also decreased, as Estévez ended the season with a 23.6 K%.

There should be no issue fitting Estévez into the Cubs' payroll in 2025. He was projected to sign a three-year, $27 million deal by MLBTR and Fangraphs also estimated a $9 million salary for Estévez at the start of free agency.

Besides Estévez, the Cubs have also had interest in veteran closers Kirby Yates and Kyle Finnegan this offseason.