PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Phillies acquired closer Carlos Estévez from the Los Angeles Angels for a pair of minor league pitching prospects on Saturday as they strengthen their bullpen for a run at their first World Series championship since 2008.
Estévez has 20 saves in 23 chances this season, a year after he had 31 saves and was an All-Star for the Angels.
The 31-year-old Estévez, a native of the Dominican Republic, originally signed with Colorado in 2011 and made his major league debut in 2016.
He has 76 saves in 418 appearances, all in relief.
“He's one of the best relievers in baseball this past year,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “He's a guy that can pitch the ninth inning. How (manager Rob Thomson) determines how he's going to use him, we'll see. It wouldn't surprise me if he gets a lot of ninth innings.”
The Phillies lost the World Series in 2022 to Houston and lost in the NL Championship Series a year ago to Arizona. They entered Saturday’s game against Cleveland with the best record in baseball at 64-39 but had lost seven of 10 games.
“We are trying to win,” Dombrowski said. “We think he's a guy that can be a real significant piece of that.”
Philadelphia sent minor league pitchers George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri to the Angels.
Estévez has a $6.75 million salary in the second season of a $13.5 million, two-year contract and can become a free agent after the World Series.
“All this stuff runs through my mind. I know all that will be taken care of,” Estévez said. "I’m glad if I’m going to another place, it’s a place I can get a shot to win a ring. It feels amazing. I’m excited.”
Estévez was expected to help strengthen a bullpen that lost an arm Friday, after they traded Seranthony Domínguez to Baltimore as part of a trade for outfielder Austin Hays. Thomson had not designated a closer this season as the Phillies became the first team in baseball to win 60 games. Behind left-hander José Alvarado and right-hander Jeff Hoffman.
Estévez has 15 strikeouts and two walks over a streak of 18 straight scoreless innings. He set an Angels franchise record when he converted his first 23 save opportunities to begin the 2023 season.
“Seeing them play on TV and facing them, they look like a really good chemistry team,” Estévez said. “That’s one really good thing to see on a team that’s pushing for everything."
Aldegheri, 22, was 6-7 with a 3.23 ERA in 15 starts between Class A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading this season. He signed by the Phillies on June 13, 2019.
The 22-year-old Klassen was 3-2 with a 1.97 ERA in 14 starts for Class A Clearwater and Jersey Shore this year. He was selected by the Phillies in the sixth round of the 2023 amateur draft and signed for a $297,500 bonus.
“We didn't want to give them up, but it's sort of the price of acquisitions at this time,” Dombrowski said.
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Associated Press writer Jill Painter Lopez contributed to this story from Anaheim, California.
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Los Angeles Angels pitcher Carlos Estévez and catcher Matt Thaiss celebrate their 2-1 win over the Mariners, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Seattle. (Kevin Clark/The Seattle Times via AP)
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Carlos Estévez pitches to close out the 2-1 win over the Seattle Mariners, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Seattle. (Kevin Clark/The Seattle Times via AP)
Los Angeles Angels reliever Carlos Estevez delivers a pitch during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Monday, July 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Carlos Estevez celebrates after a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Monday, July 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump was the target of what the FBI said “appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another attempt on his life. The former president said he was safe and well, and authorities held a man in custody.
U.S. Secret Service agents stationed a few holes up from where Trump was playing noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course, roughly 400 yards away.
An agent fired and the gunman dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV, leaving the firearm behind along with two backpacks, a scope used for aiming and a GoPro camera, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. The man was later stopped by law enforcement in a neighboring county.
It was the latest jarring moment in a campaign year marked by unprecedented upheaval. On July 13, Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear. Eight days later, Democratic President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, giving way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the party's nominee.
And it spawned new questions about Secret Service protective operations after the agency's admitted failures in preventing the assassination attempt this summer.
The man who was detained had a calm, flat demeanor and showed little emotion when he was stopped, according Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.
“He never asked, ‘What is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder said.
In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” He wrote: “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!”
He returned to Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach where he lives, according to a person familiar with Trump's movements who was not authorized to discuss them publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
It was not immediately clear how the development would affect his schedule or campaign dynamics. Trump was set to speak from Florida about cryptocurrency live on Monday night on the social media site X and had stops planned Tuesday and Wednesday in Michigan and on New York's Long Island.
An email to Trump campaign staffers obtained by AP said, “We ask that you remain vigilant in your daily comings and goings.”
“As we enter the last 50 days of President Trump’s campaign, we must remember that we will only be able save America from those who seek to destroy it by working together as one team.”
Biden and Harris were briefed on the matter and each issued a statement condemning political violence. Harris' added that she was “deeply disturbed” by the day's events and that “we all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence.”
Biden said he had directed his team to ensure the Secret Service "has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety.”
In the aftermath, Trump checked in with allies, including running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and several Fox News hosts. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he spent several hours with Trump and called him “unstoppable.”
Fox News host Sean Hannity recounted on air his conversation with the former president's golf partner, Steve Witkoff.
They had been on the fifth hole and about to go up to putt when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.” Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents “pounced" on Trump and “covered him” to protect him.
Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser. His campaign had not announced any public plans for Trump on Sunday. He often spends the morning playing golf.
Trump has had a stepped-up security footprint since the assassination attempt in July. When he is at Trump Tower in New York, parked dump trucks have formed a wall outside the building. At outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind bulletproof glass.
The Florida golf course was partially shut down for Trump as he played, but there are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers are visible from the fence line. Secret Service agents and officers in golf carts and on ATVs generally secure the area several holes ahead and behind Trump. Agents also usually bring an armored vehicle onto the course to shelter Trump quickly should a threat arise.
The Palm Beach County sheriff said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the president, but because he is not, “security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.”
“I would imagine that the next time he comes to the golf course, there will probably be a little more people around the perimeter," Bradshaw said. “But the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done."
Late Sunday, Trump posted a message on social media thanking the Secret Service and law enforcement for keeping him safe, calling them “brave and dedicated Patriots,” adding that it was "certainly an interesting day!”
He was to be briefed in person Monday by acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe about the investigation into the assassination attempt, according to a person familiar with the plan for the briefing who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Former presidents and their spouses have Secret Service protection for life, but the security around former presidents varies according to threat levels and exposure, with the toughest measures typically being taken in the immediate aftermath of their leaving office.
Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some other former presidents because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again.
The man in custody was Ryan Routh, three law enforcement officials told the AP. The officials who identified the suspect spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Records show Routh, 58, lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving to Hawaii in 2018. In 2020, he made a social media post backing Trump's reelection, but in more recent years his posts have expressed support for Biden and Harris.
Routh tried to recruit Afghan soldiers fleeing the Taliban to fight in Ukraine, and spent several months in the country, according to an interview with The New York Times last year.
The FBI was leading the investigation and working to determine any motive. Attorney General Merrick Garland was receiving regular updates. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were helping investigate.
“The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach Florida and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump,” the bureau said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said the state would do its own investigation, posting on X that, “The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.”
News reporters were not with Trump on Sunday. Bucking tradition, Trump’s campaign has not arranged to have a protective pool of reporters travel with him, as is standard for major party nominees and for the president. Harris does not have a protective pool at all times, but does allow reporters to travel with her for public events.
Snyder, the Martin County sheriff, said the suspect was apprehended within minutes of the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office putting out a “very urgent BOLO” — or “be on the lookout” alert.
Snyder said his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95 and “we pinched in on the car, got it safely stopped and got the driver in custody.”
Richer, Long, Tucker and Miller reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst and Michael Biesecker in Washington, Michael Balsamo, Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Michael R. Sisak in New York, and Meg Kinnard in Houston contributed to this report.
Ryan Wesley Routh takes part in a rally in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
The house of Ryan Routh is seen in Kaaawa, Hawaii, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. Routh is in police custody in connection with the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump on Sunday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)
The main entrance of Trump International Golf Club is seen after police closed off the area following the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump waves as he boards a plane at Harry Reid International Airport after a campaign trip, Saturday, Sept.14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Police crime scene vehicles are seen at Trump International Golf Club after police closed off the area following the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
A police officer directs traffic near Trump International Golf Club after the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
A police officer directs traffic near Trump International Golf Club after the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
Police officers direct traffic near Trump International Golf Club after the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
This photo provided by the Martin County Sheriff's Office shows Sheriff's vehicles surrounding an SUV on the northbound I-95 in Martin County on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
Photos that show an AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, are displayed during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephany Matat)
FILE - Security agents talk at the entrance to former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, March 31, 2023, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
Sheriff vehicles are pictured near Trump International Golf Club, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla., after gunshots were reported in the vicinity of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Stephanie Matat)
FILE - The motorcade for President Donald Trump arrives at Trump International Golf Club, Feb. 15, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at the Las Vegas Police Protective Association during a campaign stop, Saturday, Sept.14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at Harry Reid International Airport to board a plane after a campaign trip, Saturday, Sept.14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
