The Boston Red Sox considered relief pitcher Tanner Scott before the left-hander crossed his name off the open market.
Scott signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which removed the market’s must-have reliever from free agency this offseason. The Red Sox were among several teams across the league interested in adding Scott to their bullpen. Boston had already added Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman, but although Scott’s track record speaks for itself, the team wasn’t wholeheartedly sold on him.
“The Red Sox were thought to be wary of going to four years for Scott, who will be 34 at the end of the season,” MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported Sunday.
Scott pitched for the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres last season, emerging as arguably the best relief pitcher in all of baseball. He made the All-Star Game for the first time in his career and recorded a 1.18 ERA across 44 outings with the Marlins before being traded to San Diego, where Scott notched a 2.73 ERA in 28 outings. The eight-year veteran closed the door on 2024, finishing with a 1.75 ERA in 72 total innings logged.
Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow stressed the importance of pitching depth this offseason, even without landing Scott. Aside from adding Wilson and Chapman, and moving Garrett Whitlock back to the bullpen, Breslow also bolstered the rotation with the additions of Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval.
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While the Buehler and Sandoval contracts are short-term deals, the addition of Crochet, specifically, which required the sacrifice of four prospects, including Kyle Teel, demonstrated the front office’s willingness to go all-in. Crochet required a hefty investment for the Chicago White Sox to approve of Boston’s trade offer, and it proved that for the right addition, Breslow and company are willing to go to whatever lengths to strike a deal.
