Padres All-Star Predicted to Betray San Diego for NL West Rival

Maren Angus-Coombs | 11 Hours Ago

Sep 13, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Tanner Scott (66) pitches during the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images / Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Christmas Day has arrived and San Diego Padres free agent reliever Tanner Scott is still a free agent, although he is garnering heavy interest from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers lost reliever Daniel Hudson to retirement and were hoping to trade for Milwaukee's Devin Wiliams, but the New York Yankees swooped in and prevented that from happening.

While the NL West rivals have plenty of arms in the bullpen, they are actively looking to add another for a possible closer role. Major League Baseball insider Rowan Kavner of Fox Sports predicts Scott will sign with Los Angeles.

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"If we can add an additional reliever, that helps increase the chances of us not going to market in July," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. "So, yeah, I could see us looking to do that. Now, it doesn't mean we'll be able to, but I could see us looking." 

Los Angeles has already made a handful of moves this winter including signing former Padres left-handed starting pitcher Blake Snell. The Dodgers also re-signed reliever Blake Treinen and added free-agent outfielder Michael Conforto.

"My goal is to not buy in July," Friedman has repeated multiple times this offseason. "I am setting that out there right now. My goal is to do everything we can right now to not buy in July. It is terrible." 

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The Padres made headlines this summer with a major acquisition, landing standout closer Tanner Scott from the Miami Marlins.

Bringing Scott into the bullpen proved to be a savvy move for San Diego. He made an immediate impact, finishing with a strong 2.73 ERA across 28 appearances. Now, as Scott is a free agent, he’s poised to attract significant interest from teams looking to add his skillset to their bullpen.

Scott would be a great addition to any team following a standout season that included his first All-Star selection, a 1.75 ERA, 22 saves, and 84 strikeouts over 62.2 innings.

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