Tanner Scott trade: Padres acquire Marlins closer as San Diego clings to wild-card spot

Scott has been one of the best relievers in baseball so far this season

By Mike Axisa Jul 30, 2024 at 4:53 pm ET• 2 min read

The San Diego Padres have fortified their bullpen by acquiring Miami Marlins All-Star closer Tanner Scott, the teams announced Tuesday. The trade sends Scott and righty Bryan Hoeing to San Diego for pitching prospects Adam Mazur and Robby Snelling, plus infielders Graham Pauley and Jay Beshears.

Scott, a 30-year-old lefty, this season boasts a microscopic ERA of 1.18 in 45 2/3 innings across 44 relief appearances. Over that span, he's struck out 53 but walked 27, 25 of which have been unintentional. Scott has converted 18 of 20 save opportunities for Miami. While he's been a high-quality reliever in any context, there's likely some good luck behind that eye-catching ERA, and the risk is that he'll undergo a correction on that front. For his career, Scott owns an ERA+ of 122. Over the last two seasons, that figure is an impressive 237.

Well in advance of Tuesday's deadline, CBS Sports ranked Scott as the No. 27 potential trade candidate. Here's part of our write-up: 

Scott is like the Miami forecast: upper-90s giving way to some upper-80s. His fastball-slider pairing is capable of missing bats and barrels alike, resulting in one of the lowest average exit velocities against in the majors. His ability to manage contact is why he's been so effective this season despite a bloated walk rate (last season's measurable control gains were clearly an outlier) and a would-be career-low strikeout rate. Scott's a free agent at season's end, meaning that, just like the current Miami coastline, he'll be gone before you know it.

Earlier this week, the Padres landed setup man Jason Adam in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. Between Adam, Scott, All-Star closer Robert Suarez, and the emergent Jeremiah Estrada, San Diego suddenly boasts one of the deepest bullpens in baseball. All four throw hard and miss bats, and are capable of pitching high-leverage innings.