The San Diego Padres expanded their bullpen overhaul by acquiring All-Star closer Tanner Scott from the Miami Marlins. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Padres and Marlins are negotiating a deal that includes Bryan Hoeing.
The Padres will trade prospects Robby Snelling, Adam Mazur, Graham Pauley, and Jay Beshears to the Marlins. Scott was actively sought after by numerous playoff contenders, including the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies.
This trade follows the Padres’ acquisition of Jason Adam from the Tampa Bay Rays in return for three prospects, demonstrating A.J. Preller’s aggressive strategy.
Preller’s aggressiveness in making these moves demonstrates his great trust in the Padres’ playoff chances. According to Joel Reuter of B/R, the Padres traded three of their top seven prospects, including Snelling and Mazur, who were ranked third and fourth in their system.
The Padres have recovered from a bad start and are now solidly in the National League playoff hunt with a 57-51 record, tied with the New York Mets for the second wild card berth and trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 6.5 games in the NL West.
Despite the obvious need for starting depth, the organization has prioritized bolstering its bullpen, which could be critical to their postseason hopes.
Building a strong bullpen can be beneficial in postseason games, as relievers frequently play key roles. Scott and Adam, combined with current relievers Robert Suarez, Jeremiah Estrada, and Adrian Morejon, offer the Padres one of the MLB’s deepest bullpens.
This depth can help offset the restricted innings pitched by their starters, Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Matt Waldron.
Tanner Scott has been terrific this season, with a 1.18 ERA, the fourth-lowest among all relievers. He has 53 strikeouts and 19 hits in 44 appearances, totaling 45.2 innings.
His domination over left-handed hitters, who have a.077/.234/.128 slash line against him, strengthens the Padres’ bullpen and increases their chances of making a strong playoff push.
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