San Diego Padres closer Tanner Scott is set to be one of the most sought-after free agents of the offseason. Scott is the clear top dog in a very depleted relief pitcher market.
Among the top relief arms, Scott is also the only southpaw standing among the pack. He's predicted to land a contract worth $54 million, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him earn much more than that.
FanSided's MLB insider Robert Murray recently revealed Scott's market in free agency, connecting him to multiple big market teams including the New York Mets.
"Free-agent reliever Tanner Scott's market is extensive, and includes many big market teams such as the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and others," Murray wrote.
Seeing the Mets aggressively pursue Scott would be quite interesting. On one hand, Mets owner Steve Cohen has the deepest pockets in baseball and Scott's the best free-agent reliever. The two seem like a perfect match with Cohen's ability to pay the lefty nearly anything he would want.
But the Mets already have a star closer in Edwin Diaz. Diaz was one of the top relief pitchers in baseball before getting injured and missing the entire 2023 season. The hard-throwing righty struggled from time to time in 2024, but his ability is still there.
Adding Scott as a second closer could make sense for the Mets. It's the same situation the Padres used him in after acquiring him last season. Scott could take on the lefties late in the game while Diaz handles the innings filled with righties.
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