Blue Jays must outbid fellow Tanner Scott finalist in Carlos Estévez chase

The Blue Jays were not the only finalist to miss out on All-Star closer Tanner Scott on Sunday. Along with them, the Chicago Cubs were reportedly in the mix for Scott until the end, but he ultimately decided to sign with the reigning World Series champions in Los Angeles.

In the wake of missing out, both teams seem to be pivoting to another dominant reliever that was dealt at last year's trade deadline. After landing Jeff Hoffman last week, the Blue Jays will need to try to outbid the Cubs, as both are serious about adding more membership to their bullpens.

Toronto has long been reportedly interested in Carlos Estévez, along with another team from the NL Central in the Cincinnati Reds. That marks three teams known to be involved with the right-hander, as Jon Morosi reports that his market is intensifying.

Blue Jays will need to outbid Cubs, as both are pivoting to Carlos Estévez after missing out on Tanner Scott.

After all the free agents that Toronto has missed out on this offseason, they may be heavily trying to add Estévez to make up for it. On the other hand, though, almost all of their acquisitions have been in bullpen, including their new projected closer, Jeff Hoffman. There is still room for the Blue Jays to add to their bullpen, so a signing of Estévez does make sense, but the offense still needs addressing.

The Cubs also had a poor bullpen in 2024, so, naturally, they plan to go hard after Estévez. Their projected closer at the moment is Porter Hodge, who had a great first taste of the major leagues, but may not be ready for a closer role just yet. Especially after missing out on Scott, the Cubs may be inclined to heavily pursue Estévez.

Last season, Estévez posted an earned run average of 2.45 with a FIP of 3.24 across 55 innings, striking out 50 batters. Opponents batted .191 against him and he walked hitters at a 5.7% clip to generate a WHIP of 0.91.

Those numbers would fit right into a high-leverage role in Toronto, but with a heavy market developing for his services, it may be a struggle to bring in Estévez. The Blue Jays have missed out on free agents so many times this offseason, so landing Estévez would definitely be significant to this offseason. Let's see if Toronto can outbid the Cubs and Reds for the right-handed reliever.