Baltimore Orioles Named Best Fit For Prized Free Agent Flamethrower

The Baltimore Orioles could be the best landing spot for baseball's top free agent relief pitcher.

Oct 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Tanner Scott (66) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have failed their many attempts to upgrade the bullpen over the past year, but could change that luck by bringing in an elite reliever in free agency.

In finding the best fits for MLB's top free agents this offseason, ESPN's David Schoenfield connected the Orioles with San Diego Padres reliever Tanner Scott.

Scott was a trade deadline target for Baltimore before ultimately ending up with the Padres. Now, the Orioles have another chance to bring him in.

"Baltimore does have Felix Bautista coming off Tommy John surgery, but they'll want more certainty after the Craig Kimbrel signing didn't work out and their bullpen finished 23rd in the majors with a 4.23 ERA," said Schoenfield. "Signing Scott -- and bringing him back to his original organization -- won't cost as much as a premium starting pitcher and could give the Orioles just as much value, especially in the postseason, where we've seen the necessity of deep, dominant bullpens."

Bautista coming back shouldn't be much of a detractor for Baltimore, no matter how sure the team is that he will be ready for the start of the season.

While Scott built up his value as a dominant closer with the Miami Marlins last season, San Diego proved that he can still bring a lot ot the table as an elite setup guy.

The Orioles are the team that originally drafted the southpaw in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB draft out of Howard College.

He was okay during his original run with the team, but it's not surprising that they decided to trade him away ahead of the 2022 season. Over his first five years in Baltimore, he posted just a 4.73 ERA.

The draft pick he was originally traded for turned into Jud Fabian, an outfielder that is currently the No. 11 overall prospect in the farm system.

The Marlins moved him into more of a closing role and he shined. He broke out in the 2023 season where he posted a 2.31 ERA and 0.987 WHIP with 12 K/9.

His strikeout numbers dropped a little bit this past season, but he still finished with an elite 1.75 ERA between both Miami and the Padres.

The 30-year-old pitched just as well in his setup opportunities as he did his closing appearances this season, meaning he is a versatile player that the Orioles can move around to fill whatever they need. He would just be a massive upgrade to their bullpen no matter what they ask him to do.