The San Diego Padres made one of the biggest moves this summer, bringing in standout closer Tanner Scott from the Miami Marlins.
Adding Scott to the bullpen was a smart move, and he delivered in a big way too San Diegoposting a solid 2.73 ERA over 28 games. Now, as he enters free agency, he is expected to draw plenty of attention from teams eager to add his talent to their roster.
Will Scott be back with the Padres?
Jim Bowden of The Athletic says Scott is destined for Philadelphia.
“Lefty Tanner Scott signs four-year, $60 million deal with Phillies saying goodbye to high-leverage relievers Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez in free agency.” Bowden predicted.
The Phillies reportedly had their eye on Scott as a top trade target last July, but it was the Padres who ultimately landed him in a deal with the Marlins. Miami sent Scott and right-hander Bryan Hoeing to San Diego, receiving four of the Padres’ top prospects in return. While Philadelphia showed interest, it’s possible that either they or the Marlins were hesitant to make an intra-division move, leaving Scott to make his influence west instead.
San Diego would be smart to make a push to keep him. However, if he chooses to explore other options, the Padres could still find a solid left-handed reliever on the market. CBS Sports RJ Anderson even suggested a potential replacement: seven-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman.
“The Short Hook: Continuing to Get the Job Done,” Anderson said. “Chapman still throws hard; he still makes a lot of free passes; he still strikes out a lot of batters; and he still doesn’t seem to demand the closest player to sign. Is there anything new to report here? Maybe he’s he stayed longer from being the two-pitch pitcher he was in his prime, now throwing four pitches more than 10 percent of the time: four-seamer, sinker, slider, and splitter, you know this guy’s whole deal.
“Possible landing spots: (Miami Marlins), (Colorado Rockies), Padres.”
With Scott hitting free agency and a projected contract of around $60 million, the Phillies could make a serious offer to bring him on board. Coming off an impressive season in which he earned his first All-Star selection, with a 1.75 ERA, 22 saves and 84 strikeouts over 62 2/3 innings, the 30-year-old lefty is likely to attract a lot of interest from teams worldwide. league.
