The Toronto Blue Jays have had a rather quiet winter. While the Yankees have been consistently adding stunning shooters, Toronto has mostly revolved around small trades: arm-for-cash trades, swapping Johan Simon for Chase Lee, and signing Tyler Rogers with his distinctive submarine style. Not doing nothing—but also not making any moves that would truly shock their opponents.
And that’s the problem.
The Blue Jays’ bullpen isn’t bad, but it lacks something crucial: endgame stability. Jeff Hoffman has done a solid job in his first full-time closer season—33 saves, 84 strikeouts, 4.37 ERA. Decent. But not the kind of “doorlocking” that would leave opponents desperate.
In that context, the proposed trade for Carlos Estevez from the Kansas City Royals starts to sound… uncomfortably reasonable.
This isn’t a trade that sacrifices the future. No ace is being traded away. No #1 prospect was sacrificed. Instead, the Blue Jays acquired a proven closer—and let the bullpen handle the rest.
Estevez finished the 2025 season with 42 saves, a 2.45 ERA, and a 1.06 WHIP in 67 games. Not flashy, no flurry of strikeouts, but incredibly effective. More importantly, he’d been in the closer role long enough to know how to maintain the rhythm in moments when one wrong shot could ruin the entire game.
The biggest difference between Estevez and Hoffman isn’t talent—it’s experience. In the last three seasons, Estevez had 99 saves. Hoffman is only just beginning to get used to that pressure. Putting the two side-by-side isn’t about discarding Hoffman, but about forcing him to…be better.
And here’s the key detail: the Blue Jays didn’t need to trade Hoffman for Estevez. The two can absolutely coexist. One will close the door, the other will be the heavy setup. The order could change depending on performance. But Toronto will no longer have to “hope” that Hoffman is good enough every night.
Equally important, Estevez is almost a direct replacement for Seranthony Dominguez—who just left Toronto to sign a two-year, $20 million contract with the White Sox. Dominguez is a stable high-leverage arm, but not a true closer. The White Sox believe he is good enough to close the door. Toronto is taking a different approach.
For the Royals, this isn’t a sell-off. Yimi Garcia brings a seasoned setup man, ready to try his hand at the closer role. Brendon Little adds a lefty with options—something Kansas City is desperately lacking. Addison Barger, 26, with 21 home runs last season, is versatile and the exact utility the Royals are looking for.
This is a “painful but acceptable” trade for both sides.
The Blue Jays, if they seriously want to catch up with the Yankees and Orioles, can’t go into the season with a bullpen lacking a solid foundation. Carlos Estevez isn’t a headline-shattering star—but he can be the one who gets Toronto to win many games… without anyone remembering.
And sometimes, that’s the sign of a good trade: quiet, not flashy—but addressing the most pressing issue.
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