Carlos Estevez turned out to be one of the best relievers in the sport last season, earning an All-Star cap in his first season with the Kansas City Royals. He is entering the second season of a two-year, $22.2 million contract with the club but the dream of playing in the big leagues almost didn’t materialize for the Dominican.
Appearing on the Abriendo Podcast on Monday, Estevez revealed that a former MLB scout had discouraged him heavily after a tryout for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“I went to this Pirates showcase. They told everyone you had to be there by 10 a.m. to sign in, and I was like, no problem, we’re out early. I rolled up way before that, ended up second on the list. Perfect spot, right?” Estevez recounted.
“They put me in super late. I threw maybe six pitches total to two Cubans. Got a strikeout and a fly ball to left. Solid stuff. I felt good. I saw the big dawg, the legendary scout who’d signed tons of ballplayers, walking over, and I thought, here it comes. Some real feedback. He’s gonna see what I got.
“Instead, in front of everybody, ‘Who brought this piece of shit here?’ In front of everybody! My heart dropped. Then he kept going: ‘Get this piece of shit out of here’.”
Estevez stated that he felt dejected after the humiliation but Dominican scout Josue Herrera, who has recruited players like Starling Marte and Luis Perdomo, reassured him immediately about his future.
“… I walked off the mound, sat down to switch into my running shoes, and the tears just came,” he continued. “Big ones rolling down. I felt crushed. Then Josue Herrera, a Pirates scout, came over, tapped me on the shoulder, and said, ‘Big dawg, get up from there and go run. You’re gonna be a big leaguer one day.’ Man, I still get goosebumps thinking about it. He said it straight up like that.”
Eventually Herrera’s prediction triumphed over the unnamed “legendary scout.” Carlos Estevez debuted in the 2016 season and played six seasons with the Colorado Rockies. His breakout season came in 2023 when he earned his first All-Star cap while with the Los Angeles Angels, finishing with a 3-3 record and 3.90 ERA. He was even better in 2024, recording a 2.45 ERA on the Angels and the Philadelphia Phillies, before striking the two-year deal in Kansas City.
Carlos Estevez Set To Feature For Team Domincan Republic At The WBC
Carlos Estevez was added to the Dominican Republic pitching staff for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. This will be the first time he represents his country. The reliever had expressed his desire to play in the international tournament way back in April last year.
Estevez joins an elite roster packed with talent. They arguably have the best lineup in the tournament featuring blockbuster names like Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., and Julio Rodriguez among others. The rotation is led by Sandy Alcantara and Cristopher Sanchez while their bullpen will feature Abner Uribe alongside Estevez and others.
The Royals will have 13 other players in the tournament. They are: Jorge Alfaro (Colombia), Jac Caglianone (Italy), Eric Cerantola (Canada), Maikel Garcia (Venezuela), Omar Hernández (Cuba), Seth Lugo (Puerto Rico), Eli Morgan (Israel), Vinnie Pasquantino (Italy), Salvador Perez (Venezuela), Oscar Rayo (Nicaragua), Abraham Toro (Canada), Michael Wacha (United States) and Bobby Witt Jr. (United States) with Luinder Avila (Venezuela), Matt Strahm (United States), and Brandon Herbold (Netherlands) part of the designated pitch pool.
