Red Sox Should Make 'Highest-Paid Reliever' Top Priority In Free Agency

Boston must be bold and aggressive on the free agent market this offseason

Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

The Boston Red Sox front office has a lot of bullpen-related work to do this offseason.

From chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s perspective, what better way is there to revamp the Red Sox ‘pen than to go after the free agent market’s best available closer?

This is an especially pertinent plan given the imminent departure of Kenley Jansen.

The objective is clear: Breslow must do everything in his power to acquire San Diego Padres reliever Tanner Scott in free agency.

Acquiring Scott in the early stages of the free agency period would take some pressure off Breslow right away, allowing the front office to proceed throughout the rest of the winter without feeling like the entire fan base is breathing down its neck. 

Locking in a stud like Scott would allow Breslow to start at the end of games and work backward as he constructs the bullpen, continuing onward by targeting value setup men to be a bridge between Boston’s rotation and Scott.

Scott will be the best reliever available in free agency this offseason, bar none. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter recently ranked Scott as the No. 18 best upcoming free agent, regardless of position, and Scott — who held a 4.1 WAR on the season entering Saturday — was the highest-ranked reliever on Reuter’s list.

“Over the last 15 years, Zack Britton (4.1, 2016) and Blake Treinen (4.4, 2018) are the only relief pitchers who have recorded a 4-WAR season, so that should help put how valuable Scott has been this year into perspective,” Reuter said. “The hard-throwing lefty has 53 saves and 37 holds with a 2.68 ERA and 11.8 K/9 in 209 appearances over the past three years, and he could be the highest-paid reliever of the 2024-25 (free agent) class.”

If Boston wants to get back to contender status and cast aside the unfortunate malaise surrounding the last few years, Breslow needs to start attacking top-of-the-line free agents.

That strategy must begin now with Scott.

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