The Philadelphia Phillies have had a conservative approach to an offseason that is already into it's seventh week. 2025 is right around the corner and names are coming off the board one by one. The 2024 MLB Winter Meetings are over, but some rumors are still brewing for the Phillies, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
The Phillies' payroll was amongst the highest coming into the offseason, per Spotrac, which should force them to dip into the trade market. They had opportunities in front of them on multiple occasions, but each deal inevitably fell flat. Even though their payroll has changed their approach, the biggest unsigned free agent reliever is still linked to the Phillies even after their signing of Jordan Romano.
Left-handed reliever Tanner Scott was an All-Star in 2024 with 84 strikeouts in 72 innings pitched and sported a 1.13 WHIP. He was acquired by the San Diego Padres at last year's trade deadline from the Miami Marlins and helped anchor the back end of the bullpen to a 1.75 ERA.
Insider's report of Phillies' connection to Tanner Scott will just give fans false hope
According to MLB.com's Jon Morosi, Scott is the best reliever available, and the Phillies were one of a few teams linked to him at the Winter Meetings. If they do feel enticed to shell out the money for him, the Phillies have the chance to put together possibly the best bullpen in all of baseball.
"Tanner Scott is the main free agent arm that I was hearing a lot in Dallas during the course of the Winter Meetings," Morosi said before listing the teams that Scott was connected to. "Well, a few different teams ... the Phillies, the Dodgers, the Yankees, the Red Sox and the Blue Jays."
Some elite relievers still remain available on the free agent market! ♨️@jonmorosi details the latest on LHP Tanner Scott and more. #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/fnzZ0gbSUr
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 13, 2024
The drawback is that Phillies president of baseball of operations Dave Dombrowski doesn't seem incentivized to add another top bullpen arm (subscription required), per Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“I think it‘s more of a priority to get a late-inning person for us from the right-hand side, so they don’t have to be a closer," Dombrowski said, per March. "Those are, of course, few and far between."
Dombrowski has also changed his approach from the traditional closer role in recent years.
“There are some folks who have a closer, but not that many. You have more high-leverage, late-inning situations, and you have more than two guys,” Dombrowski said.
The Phillies have a balance of left- and right-handed relievers already in their bullpen and have big names that should frontline the bullpen. Scott's projected contract is for four years and $66 million, per Spotrac.com. The average annual value of $16.4 million will be too rich for the Phillies to commit to Scott. It's a nice thought, but it seems unlikely to take place.
The Phillies had trade deadline acquisition Carlos Estévez and fan favorite Jeff Hoffman leave for the open market. If there was ever a chance Philadelphia would shell out a sizable free agent reliever deal, the priority may be in bringing back their own in Hoffman. His desire to return to Philadelphia could sway negotiations. Scott's market also has major potential to push new heights with other rich teams willing to pay top dollar for a high-end closer.