Los Angeles Angels' Manager Makes Revelation on Team's Closer Battle

Despite signing free agent Robert Stephenson this offseason, the Los Angeles Angels plan to start the year with Carlos Estevez as their closer, per manager Ron Washington.

From MLB.com:

Angels manager Ron Washington was direct when asked whether Carlos Estévez will be the club’s closer to open the season.

“Right now, we’ve got him as a closer,” Washington said. “So we don’t need to talk about that.”

Estévez, 31, is coming off a season that saw him post a 3.90 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings. He was an All-Star for the first time and saved a career-high 31 games in 35 opportunities.

Estevez is a seven-year veteran who has played for the Colorado Rockies and Angels, with 2023 being his first year in Anaheim. Lifetime, he's 23-26 with a 4.47 ERA. His 31 saves were a career-high, as his previous career high was 11.

Though Washington has given the job to Estevez at the start of spring training, that's not to say that he can't lose it at some point. If he does, Stephenson would figure to have the inside track at it. He signed a three-year deal with the Halos this offseason.

Stephenson started his career in 2016 with the Reds, staying there until partway through the 2022 season. 

In 2022, he finished up the year with Pittsburgh, staying there partway through 2023, when he finished with Tampa Bay, putting up great numbers once he got there.

Overall in 2023, he went 3-4 with a 3.10 ERA over 60 games, but he had just a 2.35 ERA with Tampa in 42 games. He was a big part of a Rays team that won 99 games and finished second in the loaded American League East.