For most of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Philadelphia Phillies boasted one of the league’s best bullpens. Then, October came and flipped that perception on its ear.
The Phillies had two 2024 All-Stars in Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm, and traded for a 2023 All-Star, Carlos Estévez, who was even better this season. But the New York Mets didn’t care, taking a chunk out of all three while winning two of their three games in the Division Series in comeback fashion.
Though there are other areas of the roster for Philadelphia to address, like the outfield and fifth starter spot, replenishing the bullpen is a worthwhile objective this winter. And one recent prediction sees them landing perhaps the best reliever available in free agency.
Tanner Scott, a 2024 first-time All-Star who was traded midseason from the Miami Marlins to the San Diego Padres, could be the lockdown closer the Phillies never quite found last year.
Ryan Finkelstein of Just Baseball recently predicted that Philadelphia would ink Scott to a four-year, $60 million contract this winter.
“If there is one reliever who is going to get paid this winter, it’s Tanner Scott. The former Marlins closer was traded to the Padres at the deadline and continued to thrive as a high-leverage weapon,” Finkelstein said.
“Getting a five-year deal worth more than $15 million per season might be the goal for Scott’s representation, but those deals have only been given out to two guys. (Josh) Hader and Edwin Diaz.”
Scott reined in his control problems beginning in 2023 and the results were astounding. He has a 2.04 ERA in his 150 innings pitched over the past two seasons, striking out 188 and producing a remarkable 7.6 bWAR.
The Scott sweepstakes will come down to which team is most motivated to fix its bullpen with cold, hard cash. The Phillies’ postseason failures may spur them to become that team, and if Scott keeps pitching the way he has, they won’t be upset at themselves.
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