The New York Yankees have focused on their bullpen this offseason, adding two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams to close games and moving Luke Weaver, who was a revelation in the ninth-inning role down the stretch last season, back to the eighth inning.
But they could go even further, with two top Yankee bloggers and podcasters now predicting the Bronx Bombers could set up a seemingly unbeatable back end of the bullpen by adding one more free agent reliever. That pitcher would be left-hander Tanner Scott who notched a career-high 22 saves in 2024 with two teams — 18 for the Miami Marlins then another four down the stretch after being traded on July 30 to the San Diego Padres.
With a fastball clocked as high as 97 mph, Scott is a power pitcher who, according to Statcast statistics, ranked in the top one percent of MLB pitchers in preventing hard contact. Batters managed an average exit velocity of just 84.3 mph off of Scott’s deliveries, and the 30-year-old southpaw allowed hard-hit balls on only 27.5 percent of the times hitters made contact in fair territory.
Scott pitched 4 1/3 innings in four postseason games for the Padres in 2024, allowing no runs on two hits and a walk, striking out five.
Both the popular podcast Fireside Yankees and blog Bleeding Yankee Blue have come out strongly in favor of adding Scott to the Yankees bullpen.
“A Scott-Weaver-Williams trio to close out games?” wrote Bleeding Yankee Blue. “That would be pure dominance. It would be sick. So, Yankees, what are you waiting for? Get on the Tanner Scott train before it leaves the station!”
Scott is coming off of the one-year, $5.7 million contract he signed last year with the Marlins. But the sports business site Spotrac projects his free agent market value at just over $65.5 million across a four-year deal.
