Padres Projected $65 Million All-Star Seen As Royals' Perfect Offseason Target
If the Kansas City Royals want to win it all in 2025, they'll need to make some bold moves this winter.
The 2024 season was a fantastic surprise for the Royals, who went from 106 losses to an American League Division Series in one calendar year. But there were still clear deficiencies with this Royals team, and the bullpen was one of them.
For much of the year, the Royals had barely anyone to turn to who they could trust in high-leverage situations, including a closer. They landed at least a temporary solution at closer in Lucas Erceg at the trade deadline, but it's unclear if the righty fireballer will be able to maintain that role in years ahead.
The Royals can assert themselves as the dominant team in the AL Central next season if they improve the back end of their bullpen. And that could mean they go after the top reliever available in free agency.
Tanner Scott, currently a setup man for the San Diego Padres, is projected by Spotrac to make $65 million this winter. Zach Pressnell of FanSided believes Scott is a worthy investment for these Royals.
"Tanner Scott (spent) the first half of the season with the Miami Marlins before being traded to the contending San Diego Padres. The Padres will make an effort to re-sign him, but, they will have bigger fish to fry in free agency this offseason," Pressnell said.
"A team like the Royals have a much better chance at making Scott a priority and bringing him in. Kansas City isn't the kind of team that's going to dish out hundreds of millions of dollars this Winter, so finding a few players to bring in would be the best budget approach."
Scott, 30, has been one of the top relievers in all of baseball for the past two seasons. He had a 2.31 ERA as the Miami Marlins' primary closer in 2023 and followed that up with a 1.75 combined ERA between the Padres and Marlins this season, which included his first career All-Star nod.
If the Royals are serious about contention, Scott makes perfect sense as the final piece to the bullpen puzzle. It will be incumbent on the front office and Royals ownership to prove that the championship window is just creaking open in Kansas City.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org