The Philadelphia Phillies have missed out on the top reliever on the market.
Former Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, and San Diego Padres left-handed relief pitcher Tanner Scott has agreed to a massive deal with the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers worth $72 million over four years. The deal was first reported by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Given the Phillies losses in the bullpen of Jeff Hoffman to the Toronto Blue Jays and seemingly impending loss of fellow free agent Carlos Estévez, Philadelphia was expected to seek major upgrades in the bullpen and potentially be a serious suitor for Scott.
The Phillies at the very least checked in on Scott at the trade deadline before he was eventually acquired by the Padres, but after losing out on the deadline to a National League team, there was at least some semblance of hope Philadelphia could have better luck the second time around.
Instead, the Dodgers – who are seemingly building a super team which will be one of the best rosters in the history of baseball on paper – land another big fish and widen the gap between them and the rest of the National League.
It’s devastating news for a Philadelphia team who is desperately trying to get over the hump and get back to the World Series, but in reality, the Phillies likely wouldn’t have gone anywhere near the kind of contract Los Angeles handed over.
Scott’s 2024 season was the best of his eight-year MLB career both for San Diego and the Marlins. Finishing the year with a 1.75 ERA over 72 appearances with 84 strikeouts in 72.0 innings, Scott coming into the game late was virtually always bad news for the opposing team.
The options among the remaining free agent relief pitchers for Philadelphia are beginning to dwindle after Scott – the biggest name on the market – falls off the board. Perhaps the team could revisit a potential reunion with Estévez.
Other possibilities include some big name veterans entering the twilight of their careers. Kirby Yates is coming off the best season of his career and is likely to a sign a short-term deal at the age of 38, while the 40-year old David Robertson and 37-year-old Kenley Jansen are available as well.
Jansen is likely not a great fit unless he’d be willing to cease the closer role given the Phillies signing of Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano, a deal which could prove to be extremely savvy.
Regardless, with Scott now having signed elsewhere, Philadelphia’s chances of making further meaningful upgrades – at least through free agency
