At this time last year, I tagged Carlos Estévez as one of my biggest free agent bargains. Who? And why Estévez? After all, he was a 30-year-old relief pitcher with a career 4.59 ERA who fanned 23% of batters the previous year with Colorado—about league average.
Here’s why: 1. Get any pitcher out of the altitude of Colorado and you’re probably looking at improvement, and 2. Estévez throws with elite velocity from a low release point.
The Angels signed Estévez to a two-year, $13.5 million contract. Indeed, it was a bargain. While Estévez threw his slider too much and his fastball not enough, he saved 31 games, made the All-Star team and set a personal best strikeout rate (27.8%).
