Clay Holmes throwing a pitch

The New York Yankees allowed Clay Holmes to hit free agency without an extension this winter, a decision that didn’t come as much of a surprise given some of his struggles throughout the campaign. While the Yankees letting him walk in free agency made sense from their perspective, they’ll have to make a tough decision regarding who to replace him with.

Tanner Scott would be the perfect fit for that description, as the left-handed reliever was among the best in Major League Baseball this past year. Will Laws of Sports Illustrated believes there’s a chance that happened, predicting that Scott will sign with the Yankees this winter.

“A first-time All-Star this year, Scott led all relievers with 4.0 WAR over the past two seasons after improving his once dismal control,” Laws wrote on November 5. “The hard-throwing lefty excels at inducing soft contact when he isn’t racking up whiffs, positioning him to be the highest-paid arm in a deep class of free agent relievers.”

Scott Could Be Expensive

While letting Holmes walk would be the right decision, the New York Yankees understand that finding a replacement better than him might be expensive. Holmes, still an All-Star last year, isn’t a bad pitcher by any means.

However, he had a few rough months, which outweighed the multiple good ones he had. Scott was elite throughout the campaign, which is why he’s expected to get paid handsomely.

MLB Trade Rumors predicted future contracts for the top players on the market, including Scott. They came together on a four-year, $56 million deal for the All-Star.

“This year’s class doesn’t feature an Edwin Diaz or a Josh Hader — an elite closer who has pitched at an All-Star level for the bulk of their career. Scott, the best reliever in this year’s class, lands in the next tier down…

“The Padres can’t make Scott a qualifying offer he was a midseason acquisition. San Diego seems unlikely to bring him back with the other needs on the roster,” MLB Trade Rumors wrote on November 4. “Scott is better than the relievers who have landed in the three-year, $30MM range (i.e. Robert Stephenson, Taylor Rogers, Rafael Montero). He should get four years and has an outside shot at five. The four-year, $58MM deal which Raisel Iglesias signed with the Angels could be a target for his camp.”

How Scott Would Fit in the Yankees Bullpen

The New York Yankees bullpen wasn’t bad in 2024, posting a 3.62 ERA. That ranked sixth in Major League Baseball, and if it hadn’t been for a few rough patches in the middle of the season, they would’ve likely finished much higher than that as a unit.

Still, that doesn’t mean they don’t need an arm like Scott, who posted a 1.75 ERA in 72.0 innings pitched. He also struck out 84 hitters in that span after striking out 104 in the 2023 campaign in 78.0 innings pitched.

Strikeout stuff is essential in the backend of a bullpen, and Scott offers that.

His price is hefty, but for a Yankees team that wants to continue building a World Series roster, the 29-year-old would be an excellent piece to add.

Jon Conahan covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Since 2019, his sports coverage has appeared at Sports Illustrated, oddschecker, ClutchPoints and Sportskeeda. More about Jon Conahan