Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Predicted to Bolster Bullpen With Elite Reliever in Free Agency

The New York Yankees could be adding one of baseball's best closers to their bullpen next season.

Grant Young

Feb 19, 2023; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) throws a bullpen session as he works out during spring training practice at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Feb 19, 2023; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) throws a bullpen session as he works out during spring training practice at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images
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New York Yankees relievers posted an extremely solid 2.67 ERA throughout the 2024 MLB postseason.

Of course, much of this is owed to Luke Weaver, who posted a 1.76 ERA and recorded 4 saves in 15.1 innings thrown during the playoffs.

While Weaver has surely earned his spot as the Yankees' closer in 2025, the back end of their bullpen looks shaky aside from him next season; especially since both Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahle are entering free agency.

This is why the Yankees could be aggressive in pursuing high-end relievers in free agency this winter. And an October 30 article from Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicted former San Diego Padres closer Tanner Scott as one of their top targets.

"Scott could be out of the Yankees' price range, but he represents the lights-out left-hander their bullpen has been missing this season. The 30-year-old had a 1.75 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 10.5 K/9 in 72 appearances with the Marlins and Padres while tallying 22 saves and 11 holds and earning his first All-Star selection," Reuter wrote.

"It might take something like a four-year, $60 million deal to get him signed, but he would be a huge addition to the relief corps."

Reuter later included Scott in his projected Opening Day 2025 roster for the Yankees.

Bringing Scott on board makes a ton of sense for New York, as he could either work as an 8th inning set-up man, attack opposing left-handed hitters in high-leverage situations, or become the closer and let Weaver be the late-inning, high-leverage guy.

Either way, the bullpen flexibility that adding Scott would provide the Yankees next season would ease a lot of stress late in games.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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