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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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Every year at the Major League Baseball trade deadline, it happens: the closer on a bad team becomes a coveted trade target for a lesser role on a better team.
This year, the plot surrounding Marlins closer Tanner Scott is a little more complicated, but the upshot is the same: contending teams are lining up their prospects to acquire the left-handed pitcher, who this year made his first All-Star team a few days shy of his 30th birthday.
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According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Seattle Mariners are "thought to be vying for Scott" in advance of the deadline. Teams have until 6 p.m. ET Monday to trade for major league players.
Scott is 18 for 20 in save opportunities and lowered his ERA for the season to 1.18 with a streak of 17 consecutive outings without allowing an earned run, dating to June 17.
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The interesting wrinkle in the pursuit of Scott: not all the teams on Heyman's list of six have a clearly defined closer situation. The Orioles traded Scott to Miami in April 2022. Two years later, they're among the best teams in baseball and their closer situation is in a state of flux.
Thursday, veteran Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel blew a save (coincidentally, against the Marlins), his sixth this season. Friday, he allowed two runs in a tie game in the ninth inning of a 6-4 loss to the Padres. Kimbrel has allowed runs in three of his last four outings.
The Orioles would love to have the option of replacing Kimbrel with Scott to bolster a bullpen that came into the season without All-Star closer Felix Bautista, who's still recovering from Tommy John surgery.
The Dodgers are in a similar position. Although they lead their division (the Padres are 6.5 games behind in the National League West), they recently demoted closer Evan Phillips and have used a rotating cast of closers in his place. Brent Honeywell — designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates just two weeks ago — got his second career save Thursday against the Giants.
The Phillies, owners of the best record in Major League Baseball, have rotated their closing duties between right-hander Jeff Hoffman and left-hander Jose Alvarez. Hoffman made the NL All-Star team this year so their situation isn't dire, but the Phillies might prefer Scott to stabilize things a bit.
The Diamondbacks have arguably the greatest need for a relief pitcher of any contender. The defending NL pennant winners have blown 18 saves, tied for the fifth-most this season, and are attempting to climb out of the fringes of playoff contention. They're 54-50, one game behind the Padres for the third and final NL Wild Card berth.
If any of the six teams come up short in their pursuit of Scott, expect them to pivot to another closer on the market. Heyman reports that the Angels' Carlos Estevez "is the only other closer almost sure to be traded."
Scott is 28-23 in his career, with a 3.63 ERA and 51 saves — all but one of which was recorded from 2022-24 with the Marlins.
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