Philadelphia Phillies Linked to Ridiculously Expensive Reliever in Free Agency

The reliever is expected to land a $65 million deal, which could hurt the Philadelphia Phillies chances of signing him.

Oct 8, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Tanner Scott (66) throws in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

During the trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies were looking to improve their bullpen in every which way.

They showed interest in left-handed reliever Tanner Scott, arguably the best reliever traded at the deadline.

Scott was eventually dealt to the San Diego Padres, helping improve a bullpen that might've already been the best in Major League Baseball.

While trading for Scott would've been a wise decision from the Phillies' perspective, he hits free agency this winter, and his expected price tag is a bit outrageous.

Spotrac has his market value at $16.4 million average annual value, coming in for a total of four years and $65.6 million.

That isn't to say that Scott doesn't deserve that, but paying a reliever that type of money hasn't exactly panned out for other clubs.

With Philadelphia having their own decisions to make in the bullpen with a few players on the current roster, handing out $65 million to Scott might not be the best decision.

Despite that reality, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com linked the two again on Monday, naming the Phillies one of three fits for the All-Star.

"Scott has developed into one of the best relievers in the game, earning his first All-Star selection earlier this summer. The left-hander posted a 1.75 ERA and 22 saves in 72 appearances between the Marlins and the Padres, putting him atop the list of free-agent relievers. Given the need for reliable relief pitching around the league, Scott should have plenty of suitors."

If Philadelphia were to add the 30-year-old, no one would view it as a bad move. In fact, he might be the most under-the-radar player on the market this winter, as relievers are extremely valuable to teams' success.

$65 million might be a bit of a stretch regarding value, but that doesn't detract from what he does on the bump.

The Phillies front office will have tough decisions to make in the winter, as this team looks further away from winning a World Series than it seemed.

Their bullpen wasn't great in the postseason, and with the possibility of losing Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman, there's a scenario where they're willing to spend on someone like Scott.

Until that happens, it remains to be seen what the front office will do.

All that's known as of the end of October is that Philadelphia needs to improve. If that means furthering their payroll, it might be what needs to be done.