Padres All-Star Linked To Brewers In Possible Blockbuster Signing

Could the Brewers pull a fast one on the rest of the NL?

May 24, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres hats in the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images / Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Few saw it coming, but the Milwaukee Brewers' highly-touted bullpen was the cause of their demise in 2024.

On Thursday, with the Brewers and New York Mets facing a winner-take-all scenario, closer Devin Williams surrendered a go-ahead home run to slugger Pete Alonso in the top of the ninth. That turned a 2-0 Brewers lead into an eventual 4-2 loss, ending Milwaukee's best season in recent memory far too soon.

The Brewers are somewhat used to playoff disappointment by now, but this one stung more than usual. To avoid a similar fate in 2025, Milwaukee may need to make some radical adjustments to their future roster, even possibly in that well-stocked bullpen.

The top reliever available in free agency this winter is San Diego Padres star Tanner Scott, a 2024 All-Star with the Miami Marlins before being traded out west. Zach Pressnell of FanSided recently urged the Brewers to take a run at Scott on the open market this winter.

"Scott posted a 1.75 ERA in 72 innings this year. He allowed 5.6 hits per nine innings while striking out well over a batter per inning," Pressnell said. "He would be the perfect setup man for Williams, allowing the Brewers to take a bit of pressure off of their closer."

Scott, 30, would be one of baseball's premier setup men if he doesn't land with a team that intends to use him as a closer. He struck out 84 batters in 72 innings pitched this season, holding hitters to a .179 batting average and a measly .243 slugging percentage.

It hasn't necessarily been the Brewers' prerogative, though, to sign relief pitchers to lucrative free-agent contracts. Milwaukee is one of the best organizations in the game at developing relief pitchers and typically, they tend to get top-level bullpen production on a bottom-tier budget.

Signing Scott would mark a departure from the norm for this Brewers team that has been successful of late, but not quite successful enough. Maybe that's the shake-up Milwaukee needs to finally make a run at a World Series trophy.

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