Yankees Trade Proposal Sends Coveted $5 Million Shutdown Reliever to NY

The New York Yankees have surrendered first place in the American League East to the Baltimore Orioles. Even with a recent rough patch, manager Aaron Boone’s club is still 53-32 and in prime position to return to the postseason. Might general manager Brian Cashman add to the bullpen before the July 30 trade deadline by trying to acquire Miami Marlins reliever Tanner Scott?

Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty of The Athletic put together six trade proposals that could hypothetically improve problem areas on the Yankees’ current roster. They also had former general manager Jim Bowden share his critique on each. Here’s the deal that’d bring Scott to the Bronx:

• Yankees receive: left-handed pitcher Tanner Scott
• Marlins receive: shortstop Oswald Peraza and utility player Oswaldo Cabrera

“The Marlins should jump at this offer because I don’t think they’re going to do any better elsewhere. Peraza would become the Marlins’ starting shortstop and Cabrera their super-utility player,” Bowden said. “Both of them are blocked by better players on the Yankees, which makes them expendable. Peraza still has significant upside despite not showing it in the Bronx.”

What Scott Could Bring to the Yankees’ Bullpen

New York’s bullpen has been mostly average so far in 2024. The unit’s collective 3.73 ERA ranks 14th in baseball and their 1.4 fWAR checks in at 17th, per FanGraphs. Closer Clay Holmes has performed well in his final year before hitting free agency, posting a 2.65 ERA through 34 innings. However, getting another high-leverage reliever with late-inning experience for the stretch run is never a bad idea.

That’s exactly what Scott could give the Bombers if they acquired him via trade. Since joining the Marlins in 2022, his performance has progressively improved with each season. He produced a 4.31 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 2022, followed by a 2.31 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 2023. Through his first 35 innings in 2024, his ERA is down at 1.54 to go along with a 1.17 WHIP.

The 29-year-0ld left-handed hurler also wouldn’t cost much from the standpoint of his salary. Scott is earning $5.7 million this season, according to Spotrac. He’ll also be entering the free-agent market this November. Knowing that team owner Hal Steinbrenner might not be too keen to take on a lot of salary to improve the roster, this could be a solid match for the Yankees.

Plenty of Teams Are Interested in Scott

The Marlins signaled they would be sellers at the trade deadline on May 4 when they shipped infielder Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres. With a 30-53 record heading into June 30 games, it’s unlikely that the club’s stance has changed much.

Miami appears to be a motivated seller and has an attractive pitcher in Scott available for teams to bid on. It’s not surprising in the slightest that the reliever’s market is anticipated to be competitive. Jon Heyman of the New York Post linked the southpaw to the Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers in addition to New York in a June 27 report. Heyman also mentioned that “many others” are thought to be interested in his services.

If Scott is at the top of the Yankees’ trade deadline wishlist, they’ll have to deal with plenty of other potential suitors while trying to make a deal come to fruition.