The Best Relief Pitcher Who Might Be Available (Title Edited)

[RZNJ]

Tanner Scott.  In the last year of his contract coming off a career year.  Made 2.83M last year.  The perfect 1-year bridge while Felix is on the mend.   The Marlins barely made the playoffs, had a -57 run differential, did not give a QA to Jorge Soler who just hit 36 homers for them.  Sandy Alcantara will miss the entire 2024 season with TJ.  They just hired a new GM.    They may see how things go and look to deal Scott at the deadline or they may look to get what they can now.

Scott, after years of horrible control figured it out last year.  He was dominant.  Cut his walks, amazingly, to 24 in 78 IP.   The Marlins desperately need a SS.   I have no idea what it would take to get Scott but I would think Joey Ortiz would be a pretty attractive piece for the Marlins.  Scott is a one year rental but he could be a key piece for any team in 2024.

Elias might have to check his ego to re-acquire Scott.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/scottta01.shtml

Edited November 8, 2023 by RZNJ

[jamalshw]

Yeah, that would be a tough pill to swallow considering Fabian is the only result of consequence from that trade and really struggled to make contact in Bowie this year. I'd also prefer a RHP in the bullpen spot than a southpaw given Coulombe, Perez and Hall are already slotted for the pen. He'd obviously cost way more given the extra years and longer track record of dominance, but I wonder what the Pirates would want for Bednar. It would be a huge package for sure, but he'd replace Bautista well and then imagine 2025 with Cano, Bautista and Bednar in the back-end. (Now, I'll wake up and go back to reality where we end up signing a random midlevel reliever that underperforms in a repeat of Givens from last year). 

[Spy Fox]

I wouldn't mind a Scott trade but I'm skeptical about Ortiz for Scott for a few reasons. I don't trust enough that Scott will stay in his "figured it out" state. I think Ortiz could be used to acquire a better piece. And the bullpen isn't where I'd most want to spend our trade resources, partially because relief arms stay in the Orioles' typical FA price range. 

[waroriole]

Ortiz for Scott would be a horrendous trade. I’m surprised you would suggest that. 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, waroriole said:

Ortiz for Scott would be a horrendous trade. I’m surprised you would suggest that. 

A guy that looks like he doesn't have a spot on the team for a guy that struck out 12/9 with a WHIP under 1 last season is a horrendous trade?

Horrendous?

[orioles22]

I'd rather trade Westburg.

I always thought it was a bad idea to let a guy with an arm like Scott go in the first place.

Not sure you'd want to give up a prospect as good or Ortiz/Westburg for one year though.

[Aristotelian]

Interesting target. I think Ortiz is too much for one year of control at peak arbitration, but I like the general concept. Of course, the volatility scares me. Just as quickly as he found his control, he could lose it again. Seems we'd be buying high with a lot of regression risk. 

Could they possibly be interested in something like Urias/Horvath? 

[RZNJ]

25 minutes ago, waroriole said:

Ortiz for Scott would be a horrendous trade. I’m surprised you would suggest that. 

 

26 minutes ago, waroriole said:

Ortiz for Scott would be a horrendous trade. I’m surprised you would suggest that. 

Why is horrendous?    Sure, it’s 6 years of one guy for 1 year of another but Scott could be a huge difference maker in the regular season and playoffs.  Ortiz may not even make the 26 man roster.

You have to give something to get something.   

[RZNJ]

17 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Interesting target. I think Ortiz is too much for one year of control at peak arbitration, but I like the general concept. Of course, the volatility scares me. Just as quickly as he found his control, he could lose it again. Seems we'd be buying high with a lot of regression risk. 

Could they possibly be interested in something like Urias/Horvath? 

Peak arbitration?  Isn’t what really matters how much Scott gets in arbitration?  He made 2.83M last year.  Not sure what he can expect in 2024.  Where’s @Frobby when you need him.

[waroriole]

33 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

A guy that looks like he doesn't have a spot on the team for a guy that struck out 12/9 with a WHIP under 1 last season is a horrendous trade?

Horrendous?

Yes. Horrendous. 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, waroriole said:

Yes. Horrendous. 

[waroriole]

9 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

 

Why is horrendous?    Sure, it’s 6 years of one guy for 1 year of another but Scott could be a huge difference maker in the regular season and playoffs.  Ortiz may not even make the 26 man roster.

You have to give something to get something.   

Ok I don’t even want that something. He had one good year, out of 6 total. He’s a FA and, as you said, we’d be giving up 6 years of control over a solid defensive SS who’s hit very well in AAA. 

[RZNJ]

3 minutes ago, waroriole said:

Ok I don’t even want that something. He had one good year, out of 6 total. He’s a FA and, as you said, we’d be giving up 6 years of control over a solid defensive SS who’s hit very well in AAA. 

One great year and it was last year over 78 innings when he learned to throw strikes.   You can dismiss it as a fluke but I doubt the rest of the league will.

Posters say we need to go deeper in the playoffs this year.  This is sacrificing future potential for a difference maker in 2024.   With Holliday, Westburg, and Henderson, Ortiz may never have a meaningful role with the Orioles.   

[NCRaven]

I'm much more in the horrendous camp than the do it camp, primarily because of the 1 remaining year of control and lack of a consistent track record for Scott.  Also think that another lefty with Hall, Perez, Coulombe, Vespi, Davidson, Akin, Zimmerman all candidates for the bullpen, is a low priority.  I know that a quality lefty beats a piss poor righty every time, but I'd rather target a quality righty at this point in time.

[waroriole]

2 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

One great year and it was last year over 78 innings when he learned to throw strikes.   You can dismiss it as a fluke but I doubt the rest of the league will.

Posters say we need to go deeper in the playoffs this year.  This is sacrificing future potential for a difference maker in 2024.   With Holliday, Westburg, and Henderson, Ortiz may never have a meaningful role with the Orioles.   

Did Akin learn to throw strikes last year? How did that work out? If we traded Cano this year, would you expect more than Ortiz as a return?