Red Sox Predicted To Snatch $65 Million All-Star In Free Agency Blockbuster

Could this be the bullpen signing that propels the Red Sox to October?

Sep 20, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Could the Boston Red Sox land the biggest blow on this winter's relief pitching market?

If there's one obvious area of the roster the Red Sox needed to upgrade after the 2024 season, it was the bullpen. Not only did Boston's relief pitchers combine to blow 18 saves after the All-Star break, by far the most in Major League Baseball, but the closer and setup man both hit free agency.

Though the Red Sox have some exciting pieces in their prospective 2025 bullpen, they're missing a sure thing in the closer role. Someone Alex Cora can hand the ball to at the end of games and head back to the dugout feeling confident the game will be won.

There isn't a better closer available than Tanner Scott, who finished the 2024 season with a 1.75 ERA and 22 saves between the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres. The Red Sox have sniffed around Scott, but can they get a deal done?

In a recent TikTok video, content creator Steven Russell predicted that the Red Sox would be the team to land Scott.

"The Red Sox get Tanner Scott," Russell simply declared.

The 30-year-old Scott was a first-time All-Star in 2024, but he's been elite for two seasons now, seemingly shaking a control problem that plagued him early in his career. He has 188 strikeouts in 150 innings since the start of the 2023 season, sporting a 2.04 ERA in that time frame.

The issue, as it so often is with Boston these days, is money. Scott is projected for a $65 million contract by Spotrac, but he could be holding out in hopes of clearing $80 million. Either figure would make him the third-highest-paid reliever ever in terms of total contract value.

The Red Sox need to step up and get a deal done to help their bullpen. Maybe it will be Scott, but if it's not, it certainly had better be one of the other top relievers on the market.

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