Even for a Dave Dombrowski trade, this one might hurt fans of the Philadelphia Phillies for a while.
On July 27, 2024, a few days before the trade deadline, the Phillies sent a pair of minor league pitchers, left-hander Sam Aldegheri (Philadelphia’s No. 24 prospect in 2024) and right-hander George Klassen (No. 29), to the Los Angeles Angels for closer Carlos Estevez. It seemed to many in the industry to be an exorbitant price for a reliever who was only in his second season as a full-time closer, which, as noted by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, was par for the course for Dombrowski, the Phillies president of baseball operations.
“Dombrowski chases the best major major leaguers. And if he needs to trade quality prospects to get them, so be it,” Rosenthal wrote.
“‘Every seller in America wants to deal with Dave,’ said one rival executive, who was granted anonymity so that he could speak candidly.”
Carlos Estevez Trade Included George Klassen, Angels’ ‘Most Pleasant Surprise’
Estevez pitched effectively for the Phillies. In 20 games covering 21 innings through the rest of the regular season, Estevez went 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA, earning six saves in eight opportunities, while striking out 18 and walking seven. Estevez made three postseason appearances, allowing two hits and two runs, one of them earned, in 2.2 innings.
And then he left as a free agent, signing with the Kansas City Royals, where he has a 1.96 ERA and 14 saves in 16 opportunities.
As for the players who went the other way, Aldegheri, who is the No. 5 ranked Angels prospect, has been mediocre at best with Double-A Rocket City, posting a 4.81 ERA over eight starts this season, with 42 hits and 25 walks in 43 innings for a WHIP of 1.56.
But Klassen could wind up being the one that got away for the Phillies.
In a May 21 article analyzing “Each club’s most pleasant prospect surprise,” MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra highlighted Klassen, the team’s No. 3 prospect, noting in particular how much Klassen has improved his control.
“(I)n many ways, the right-hander was a surprise development last year when he jumped on the scene with the Phillies before being sent to the Angels near the Trade Deadline, finishing with a 3.10 ERA, 13.1 K/9 rate and .195 BAA,” the analysis stated. “What’s been fun to see this year as he was starting to settle in at Double-A is how often he’s found the strike zone. Klassen walked 8.5 per nine in college, 4.5/9 in 2024 and is down to 2.2 this year while still missing plenty of bats.”
George Klassen Making Strong Case for Inclusion in Top-100 Prospects List
The 23-year-old Klassen is currently on the injured list with a concussion after taking a line drive to the head during a May 11 start. However, a recent article by Geoff Pontes of Baseball America suggested that prior to the injury, Klassen was making a strong case for consideration in the top 100 list.
“Over seven starts, Klassen has pitched to just a 4.97 ERA, but it’s backed by a 3.08 FIP and 2.58 xFIP,” Pontes wrote. “His stuff remains jaw-dropping, as he sits 96-97 mph on his fastball and touches 99 at peak. While the heater doesn’t feature tremendous ride, Klassen’s 14 inches of average armside run make up for the lack of traditional four-seam movement.
“His primary secondary is a low-90s gyro slider that has generated whiffs at rate of 45% in 2025. He also mixes a curveball in the mid 80s featuring slurvy shape that he deploys as his primary weapon against lefthanded batters.
“All in all, it’s a mix of premium stuff and improving execution, making Klassen one of the more exciting names outside the Top 100 list.”
And making Phillies fans cringe at the potential of watching Klassen dominate in another team’s uniform.
Phillies Regret Trading Away ‘Jaw-Dropping’ Prospect