Why the Phillies chose Carlos Estévez over others and other takeaways from deadline trades

About 20 months ago, two pitching coaches met a player on a Zoom call. The team had just made a surprise World Series appearance and was looking to improve. The player was interested but unsure about joining the team. Another team was interested and gave a deadline for their offer. The team made their offer but the player chose the other team. Recently, the player talked to a former teammate and discovered that playing for the team is fun. The team had been interested in other pitchers but ultimately decided to acquire the player. There were debates within the team about whether it was worth giving up prospects for a rental player. The team’s president admitted that they may have overpaid. The player will be treated as a closer. The team believes he will give them a chance to win. The team has a strategy of focusing on developing pitchers rather than hitters. The team is likely done adding to their bench.