Red Sox Predicted To Land $48 Million All-Star Closer In Blockbuster Signing

Should Boston break the bank to boost the bullpen?

Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Boston Red Six chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox can't allow the bullpen to tank their season again in 2025, and the surest way to do that is to spend real money to fix it.

After the All-Star break this year, the Red Sox had Major League Baseball's worst bullpen by a mile. They blew winnable game after winnable game, squandering what was a golden opportunity to make the playoffs in a wide-open American League Wild Card picture.

Now, with closer Kenley Jansen and setup man Chris Martin likely headed elsewhere, the Red Sox have a clean slate. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow can shape the bullpen however he wants, but it will take at least one free-agent signing to shore up this wayward group of relievers.

Tanner Scott of the San Diego Padres is viewed by most as the best reliever available, and the Red Sox witnessed his dominance firsthand in Miami in July. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently predicted that Boston would land Scott on a three-year, $48 million contract this winter.

"In 146 games over the past two seasons, (Scott) has posted a 2.04 ERA and 2.53 FIP.According to FanGraphs, his 4.5 WAR is the top mark among relief pitchers since the start of the 2023 season, topping the likes of Emmanuel Clase and Ryan Helsley," Kelly said.

"Scott has experience as a setup man or closer. He's likely to command a large enough contract in free agency that serious suitors will view him as their best reliever, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be pitching in the ninth inning in today's game."

Scott, 30, has had control problems in the past, but he toned those down over the last two seasons, particularly in his 2023 season with the Miami Marlins. He was traded to the San Diego Padres at the deadline this season, but ideally, he can now find a contender to call home for the next few years.

The Red Sox could be that contender, but they'd need someone like Scott to come in and help revamp the bullpen. It's an ideal symbiotic relationship waiting to happen, but Breslow needs to hand over a sizable check to kick things off.

More MLB: Red Sox Linked To 'Impact' $69 Million Dodgers Superstar By Insider