The New York Yankees will be looking to bolster their bullpen at the trade deadline. Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver have been great for the Yankees, but they could be in the market for another arm. Tanner Scott of the Miami Marlins was named the “best match” for the Yankees at the deadline by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The Marlins are 27-51 and have plenty of players who should draw trade interest. Scott, Josh Bell, Jesús Luzardo and Jazz Chisholm Jr. could all be traded.
“He could be a dominant left-handed reliever for a team without one, and while his walks this season are alarming, the Marlins’ 29-year-old closer has worked around them to the tune of a 1.64 ERA,” wrote Passan.
Passan listed other trade candidates for the Yankees, but also how they may be unrealistic. Scott fills a need for the Yankees and is a reasonable option at the trade deadline.
“This might not be what Yankees fans want to hear, but the headliner moves just don’t make a ton of sense. A trade for Guerrero would be fun. Same with one that sends Pete Alonso across the Triborough Bridge. Likewise acquiring uber-reliever Mason Miller from Oakland. All are long shots for different reasons,” wrote Passan.
“Guerrero has said publicly he never wants to play for the Yankees, and Toronto loathes the notion of seeing him in division games for another year. Alonso going crosstown — even months before he hits free agency — would require an overpriced return to mitigate the grief of actively choosing to send a franchise icon to an in-town rival. And the acquisition cost for Miller is astronomical.”
Yankees Bullpen Has Been Strong Early in 2024
“Outside of Clay Holmes and the newly dominant Luke Weaver, who does Boone truly trust? Ian Hamilton, coming off his 2023 breakout, has been inconsistent,” wrote The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. “The same is true of lefties Caleb Ferguson and Victor Gonzalez, both of whom were acquired from the Dodgers during the offseason, and Tommy Kahnle, who is frequently injured.”
Weaver and Holmes have led the way for the Yankees bullpen. Holmes has been one of the best closers in baseball with 19 saves. Weaver has a 2.62 ERA across 44.2 innings. The Yankees may need to add an arm or two to avoid overuse of those two.
The Yankees bullpen has the sixth-best ERA in the majors. Adding Scott’s arm would bolster the bullpen for a postseason run.
Scott has a 1.64 ERA in 32 appearances this season. He has allowed just two earned runs since April 30. Scott has also done a great job of keeping the ball in the park, allowing just two home runs on the season. He has served as the closer in Miami but could be used as a setup man for Holmes.
Marlins Open for Business Ahead of Trade Deadline
The Marlins have already indicated their intentions when it comes to the trade deadline. With the deadline still a ways away, the Marlins traded two-time All-Star and batting champion Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres.
Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix indicated the club’s thought process when asked about trading away a proven player for players with the potential to succeed.
“It’s part of the value of the player for the rest of the season when unfortunately our record is what it is and the fact is that we’re unlikely to make the playoffs this year,” said Bendix, according to the Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson. “Trading that for future value seems like the right thing for this organization right now.”
Scott will be a free agent after this season. The left-hander could be a huge asset for any team looking to make a deep postseason run. The Yankees could make their bullpen even more dominant with the addition of Scott.
