This free agency has crawled to a halt with only a month until pitchers and catchers report to their respective camps. Much was built up of the MLB Winter Meetings being the first domino to fall in a slew of deals to follow. On the eve of the festivities, the market got what it wanted in Juan Soto signing his record-setting contract with the New York Mets, but deals have been sparse since that massive plunge.
The reliever market has been on ice since free agency opened in November, with marquee names still looking for potential homes. Carlos Estévez is still going through his own free agency while Jeff Hoffman finds a home in the Toronto Blue Jays on a three-year, $33 million deal with incentives that could bring it to $39 million. The most prominent name remaining is still closer Tanner Scott, and coming off a 2.73 ERA in 2024, he will be looking to fetch himself a handsome payday. Scott has a wide range of teams reaching out for his services, which may still include the Phillies.
Phillies still being a part of Tanner Scott's market is a real head-scratcher
Scott's market is extensive, according to FanSided's MLB insider Robert Murray, and has been brewing for months with seemingly no real progression toward a deal. Murray says that Scott's market still includes the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and the Phillies, among others. It's a little bit of a head-scratcher for Scott to still be linked to Philadelphia given how the Phillies have acted the entire winter. Other big markets still seem like the better fit, given how deep some of the owners' pockets are.
One of the Phillies' priorities coming into the offseason was the bullpen and addressing the possible turnover at the position. They inked deals with relievers Joe Ross and Jordan Romano earlier this offseason at $8.5 million and $4 million, respectively. The idea of bringing in a star like Scott seems like false hope. The Phillies have beaten the drum repeatedly about how much they like their club already and have commented extensively on their payroll constraints. Per Spotrac, their projected 2025 payroll is roughly $304 million and they have much of their roster finalized.
The addition of Scott would be phenomenal, but a projected price tag of over $60 million is too rich and out of the realm of possibility for the Phillies. The surpassing of the $301 million payroll resulted in crossing the fourth tax threshold, per Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The stiff 110 percent tax rate dwindles any hopes of a big signing this offseason. If the Phillies would be willing to swing it, fans would be enthralled, but until that happens, it's a safe bet to accept that the team is already set for next season.