The New York Yankees are expected to be very aggressive on the bullpen market, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was on Foul Territory to discuss what the Miami Marlins could do at the deadline. When asked about Tanner Scott, the MLB insider mentioned that the Yankees are among the teams interested in the left-handed closer. With a 1.42 ERA across 37 outings, he’s expected to draw plenty of suitors this July, but the Yankees could desperately use his swing-and-miss stuff at the backend of their bullpen.
Tanner Scott could give a huge boost to the Yankees, but they’re going to have some stiff competition on the market if they want to acquire his services from the selling Marlins.
Tanner Scott is On the Yankees’ Radar This July
This has been an excellent season for Tanner Scott, who has a 1.42 ERA and 27.3% strikeout rate across 37 appearances for the Marlins. He’s an excellent high-leverage option, and he’s been locking down saves and big-time innings for Miami at an elite level in each of the last two seasons. No reliever has a higher fWAR (3.3) or Win Probability Added (+6.74) over the last two seasons and he does this with an excellent two-pitch mix with a dominant fastball and slider that generates great movement and elite velocity.
Another aspect of this conversation is how bad left-handed relievers have been for the Yankees, combining for a -0.5 fWAR and 4.16 ERA across 67 innings. In the offseason, Brian Cashman acquired both Victor Gonzalez and Caleb Ferguson from the Los Angeles Dodgers and neither arm has done much of anything. Ferguson has posted an ERA north of 5.00, and Gonzalez was designated for assignment and went unclaimed, residing in Scranton with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate.
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A free agent after the 2024 season, the Miami Marlins are certainly trading Tanner Scott, as Ken Rosenthal mentioned they will be dealing anyone making significant money or who can yield a return for them. Given their cheap spending habits and awful record in 2024, they’re going to sell off pieces like Scott which they virtually have zero chance of bringing back in the winter. It’s unclear whether the Yankees would spend on their bullpen this winter with Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle hitting free agency, and Scott would add to the list of impending free agents on the Bronx Bombers.
He has the strikeout stuff and the walks have gone down as of late, but will the Yankees outbid other teams for his services this summer? Everyone will be searching for pitching help, and Tanner Scott will be on the radar for multiple contenders, so the Yankees will need pivot options in case they aren’t able to pull off this deal.