Should Chicago Cubs Avoid Trading for Star Reliever?

The Chicago Cubs are in the market for a top reliever before the MLB trade deadline, should they look to the Miami Marlins for help?

Sep 19, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins relief pitcher Tanner Scott (66) pitches against / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs are in the market for new relief pitchers and have been linked to a couple of names along with already pulling off a trade.

Chicago's bullpen is ranked 24th in MLB for staff ERA, so they should absolutely look for help. They should be careful, though, as some top arms might be more of a risk than others.

Tanner Scott is one of the top arms on the trade market, one of the best relievers in baseball last season for the Miami Marlins.

Scott has a lot going for him on the surface. Through his first 17 appearances this year, he has an ERA all the down at 2.12 and a WHIP of 1.53. 

He has a low WHIP and ERA for his career, but a little peek under the covers reveals that he might be on the verge of falling apart.

The first and most obvious stat that is troubling would be his walk issues. So far, he is averaging one walk per innings. His command issues have his BB/9 at by far the highest mark of his entire career. 

Not only is he not getting pitches into the strike zone, batters are swinging at his pitches outside 10% less often than last season. He’s not fooling batters.

An outlier statistic in the other direction for the 29-year-old is his BABIP. His previous career low was .224 in 2020, but he is a career .322 guy. In 2024, it’s all the way down at .186. He isn’t allowing a ton of hits this season, but logic says that he is due to regress a bit from where he’s at right now. 

There’s not a huge difference in the types of pitches he’s throwing or the contact that is being made, the balls just aren’t falling against him.

Things could be a lot worse for Scott than they are right now. It’s not guaranteed that his season will fall apart, but there are some causes for concern that might force a team to look in a different direction.

The Cubs would likely need to pay a hefty price tag for what would be a rental for a reliever. Would that make sense for them?

A trade for Mason Miller might make more sense if you're going to part ways with anything of value.

Scott carries a lot of risk and given the bigger need for a reliable arm, Chicago might be better off looking elsewhere.