The Phillies acquired one of the top closers in the game on Saturday in Carlos Estevez, a move that was a much needed one to help solidify the back end of a wavering bullpen. Many knew that the Phillies would grab a reliever before the trade deadline (this Tuesday) and in grabbing one of the best options out there, it should leave fans feeling good about the team’s chances going forward.

Or one would have thought.

For some reason, the trade left a bad taste in the mouths of some fans, claiming that the Phillies got fleeced and that the risk of trading two young pitching prospects away wasn’t worth a top closer.

In exchange for Estevez, the Phillies sent Anaheim George Klassen, and Samuel Aldegheri who ranked 7th and 12th in the Phillies system, respectfully. On the surface, it does look like it could be a steep price for a 31 year old pitcher who is under contract for the remainder of this season, but it’s a move that absolutely has to be done. It’s World Series or bust for this team.

The entire goal of a season is to try to win it all, and Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski knows that. He realized the weaknesses with the club and addressed them by acquiring not only Estevez, but also some outfield help in Austin Hays a few days prior. The team has the best record in baseball, and although nothing is guaranteed, this team should have all the tools necessary to make a deep run in October. Two pitching prospects in A ball aren’t going to be helping the big club in achieving that goal, so doing this was a no-brainer.

Chances are, many did not even know much of the two prospects traded until the trade was announced, but once they see how they ranked in the Phillies system, they reacted in negative fashion. And for those who did know about them, the beginning sentence in this paragraph still holds true. You do not know much about these arms. More often than not prospects don’t pan out like they are “supposed” to. It’s just the law of average. I’m not saying that Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri won’t amount to anything, but it’s not a foregone conclusion that they will, either. What we DO know is that Carlos Estevez is a hard throwing closer who hasn’t allowed a single run since Memorial Day. He’s also consistent with his pitches, having the fifth highest strike zone rate in baseball.

In the past 15 years, the Philies have had their share of deals that included top prospects in exchange for “stars” in an attempt to win a title. Whether it was Cliff Lee, Hunter Pence, Brad Lidge, there were a few players who had good careers with other teams. Guys like J.A. Happ, Micheal Taylor, Gio Gonzalez, and Ken Giles. But the list of prospects that didn’t turn out to be much is much longer.

Remember how everyone was hung up on Kyle Drebek when he was traded from the Phils to Toronto for some guy named Roy Halladay? How about Lou Marsen and Jason Donald? Two guys the Phils gave up to get Cliff Lee. Sixto Sanchez was another pitcher that went through the farm system with high hopes. He was a part of the trade to acquire JT Realmuto. Sanchez has not amounted to what many thought he would, albeit, injuries have derailed his career.

In the end, it’s a crapshoot when trying to predict what could be when evaluating prospects. Giving up on them in an attempt to win it all is definitely a risk, too. But the Phillies absolutely had to do this in order to give them the best possible shot at  a Broad Street parade in November. And if that happens, there shouldn’t be anyone second guessing the deal.