The New York Yankees got off to a hot start this season with Aaron Judge and new acquisition Juan Soto driving the offense. As the season wore on, however, the Yankees cooled off and the Baltimore Orioles managed to overtake them in the AL East. Still a top-five overall team by record, New York is now three games behind the Orioles in the division.
Because they’re the Yankees, they’re absolutely going to be involved at the MLB trade deadline. And while the team has a couple of issues to address, adding a relief pitcher will be toward the top of the list. The arm New York will be targeting come July 30 is the Miami Marlins’ Tanner Scott.
One of the biggest factors in the Yankees’ cold streak is the bullpen. Through May 30, New York’s bullpen ranked second in ERA, third in batting average against, fourth in WPA, fifth in WHIP, 14th in holds, and 13th in fWAR. However, since the end of May, the Yankees bullpen has experienced a significant drop, ranking 25th in ERA, 19th in batting average against, 22nd in WPA, 24th in WHIP, 23rd in holds and 24th in fWAR.
Those are some serious dips. And that’s despite having All-Star closer Clay Holmes saving games. Injury is a big part of the problem as the Yankees have lost a number of arms over the course of the season, including relievers Ian Hamilton and Cody Poteet who’ve been in the news of late for different reasons.
Adding a bullpen arm isn’t going to fix the Yankees, who’ve gone 6-16 in their last 22 games. But it will be a step in the right direction in getting New York back on the right track and ready to make a second-half push.
Scott is having a dominant season for the moribund Marlins. He’s up to 42 strikeouts in 38 innings and sporting a 1.42 ERA, 13 saves, 1.079 WHIP, and a staggering ERA+ of 310. Scott has accumulated 2.6 WAR in 37 appearances so far this season. His performance earned him his first All-Star nod. But the dazzling lefty is wasted on the Marlins, who are languishing 26.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.
The Yankees must land reliever Tanner Scott at the trade deadline
This, of course, means it’s likely fire sale time for Miami. And the 29-year-old Scott is one of the team’s most attractive pieces.
While the pitcher is only making $5.7 million this season, he’s set to hit free agency in 2025. So Scott would be a second-half rental for whatever team lands him at the trade deadline. This drops his value slightly but for teams like the Yankees who are all in on the current season, he’s a must-have.
Scott is unlikely to fetch a package like the one expected to be offered to the Chicago White Sox for starter Garrett Crochet. But he’s a great fit for the Yankees. So New York should offer up the organization’s number five overall prospect Everson Pereira.
Pereira had a cup of coffee with the Yankees in 2023 and it was not a great showing. But the 23-year-old has been raking in Triple-A. A nice power/speed combo with 20/20 potential, Pereira would offer the Marlins a young and cheap option that can play all three outfield spots. This could become even more valuable if Miami trades Jazz Chisholm at the deadline as expected. While centerfielder is his normal position, Pereira could eventually provide power at a corner spot.
Trading the promising young bat makes sense for the Yankees as they plan to resign Soto to a multi-year deal and have a couple of outfield prospects ahead of Pereira in the minors. Jasson Dominguez at Triple-A is New York’s top-ranked prospect. And right behind him is Spencer Jones, who the Yankees are loath to trade, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
With Judge, Soto, Dominguez, and Jones, the team has a bit of a glut in the outfield so moving Pereira makes sense. Of course, Miami might want more. And considering that New York’s AL East rivals the Orioles may also have an interest in trading for Scott, the Yankees may have to sweeten the pot.
Scott is already a must-have. But keeping the reliever away from Baltimore is nearly as important as landing him. So, if Pereira alone won’t get a deal with Miami done, the Yankees should include 25-year-old righty Will Warren, the organization's seventh-ranked prospect, who profiles as a mid-rotation starter.
It might seem like a lot to give up for a couple of months of relief pitching but Scott could be the difference between a win and a loss in the postseason. And you never really know which prospects are going to fulfill their promise and which will fail to thrive.
The risk is worth it for the Yankees, who need to pull out of the skid and start winning more games. For the Marlins, they get younger and cheaper as the organization looks to the future for success.
