What would it have cost the Mets to trade for Carlos Estevez?

The New York Mets could’ve used a reliever like Carlos Estevez in the bullpen. Instead of going to war with us, he’ll suit up for the rival Philadelphia Phillies. Philadelphia acquired him from the Los Angeles Angels for a pair of pitching prospects with MLB ETAs of 2026. Although previously not ranked highly on MLB Pipeline’s prospect list for Philadelphia, George Klassen moves up to third for the Angels and Samuel Aldegheri goes in at number eight.

Klassen has had a remarkably good year in A-Ball while pitching to a 1.97 ERA. Aldegheri, from Italy, has a 3.23 ERA this year and is now pitching well in Double-A.

Many have called the price steep for a rental but good for the Phillies. What if the Mets were willing to pay the price?

What the Mets would have had to give up for Carlos Estevez

The Mets actually have two pitching prospects playing incredibly well ranked 19th and 26th in their farm system with 2026 ETAs. It doesn’t necessarily mean the Angels would make this trade but it does give a baseline.

First, there’s Jonah Tong. A seventh round pick (Klassen was a sixth-rounder), he’d fit the bill as a high-performing pitching prospect on the rise. He has a 2.55 ERA this season with some nasty stuff. His 13.2 strikeouts per 9 has helped highlight what has been a breakout year. Finding his control from averaging over a walk per inning last year has been key. 

Then there’s Kade Morris who has only recently been added to the list of top Mets pitching prospects. The club’s third round pick from last season, he has a 3.51 ERA after 92.1 innings of work. Averaging more than a strikeout per 9 inning and just under 3 walks per 9, he’s the kind of lesser known prospect having a good year a team like the Angels might have interest in.

The Mets have much better pitching prospects than these two. Notably, Brandon Sproat. Neither of the Phillies players traded in this deal are ranked in the top 100 so it wouldn’t have cost him. And because so many other pitching prospects have struggled mightily in Triple-A, the Angels’ interest might just not be there.

We’ve seen a growing trend of several teams aiming for prospects a few years away rather than close to MLB-ready. Last year’s David Robertson trade for two low-level prospects gave us an early taste of this. As many prospect lists tend to do, it favors guys who aren’t brand new or drafted in the first or second round.

Tong and Morris for Estevez? Would you have done it if this was an offer the Angels accept?