Cubs ‘Among Top Remaining Suitors’ for Tanner Scott, Will Need to Break from Tradition to Sign Him
Jed Hoyer appeared on David Kaplan’s REKAP podcast recently and discussed his plan for the remainder of the offseason. I say “plan,” but we all know Hoyer isn’t going to give any real details to the public. However, one thing he did make clear during that pod appearance and in subsequent interviews is that upgrading the bullpen has been a big priority this winter. As it should, since several of the Cubs’ losses in 2024 came from relievers late in games.
They’ve already traded for Eli Morgan and have signed Caleb Thielbar and Colin Rea to bolster the ‘pen, but they need at least one more arm before I feel comfortable entering the season. Ideally, that inevitable addition is a solid closer, such as Tanner Scott or Kyle Finnegan. Finnegan will be cheaper and is thus a much more likely signing than Scott, who could command something in the neighborhood of four years and at least $60 million.
While that flies directly in the face of everything the Cubs have previously said and done with bullpen construction, it’s not out of the question. Jon Morosi has heard that the Cubs appear to be finalists for the southpaw, who could make his decision as soon as this weekend.
The Cubs are among the top remaining suitors for Tanner Scott, sources say.
Scott could decide from among several multiyear offers this weekend. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 18, 2025
Scott is the best reliever left on the market, so there is plenty of competition if the Cubs truly want to bring him to Wrigley. The Mets signed A.J. Minter to a two-year deal on Friday and Mike Puma of the NY Post reported they will not continue to pursue Scott. It would be fair to say this increases the chances he becomes a realistic option for Chicago, and there is a strong argument that he’s worth the risk.
Scott spent last season between in Miami and San Diego, posting a 1.75 ERA with 22 saves in 72.0 innings. Adding him would allow Craig Counsell to finish games off with some combination of Scott, Julian Merryweather, Ben Brown, and Porter Hodge. One of the biggest reasons the Brewers were so successful under Counsell was a bullpen that locked down the late innings. Having several elite arms to turn to when the starter comes out is a luxury that helps even small-budget teams look like premium spenders.
As you surely know already, that was not the case last season in Chicago. The rotation isn’t amazing, but it’s solid with some good depth. If there is one more big addition left this winter, it needs to be Scott. No more looking for the cheapest option, just pay him to win games and, ideally, the division.
Everyone is always worried about overpaying for a player and with the comments made by Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts on Saturday (I’ll get into those another time), it’s a fair concern to have. But if you want to raise a team’s performance ceiling, sometimes you have to pay more than market value for a player. Overpaying a little for Scott is better than watching him shove for another team. So even though I wouldn’t love the Cubs pushing way past that $60 million mark, they need to do it if that’s what it takes.
We’ve seen how the pitching market has exploded this winter, so I don’t think it’s crazy to say Scott could be considered a steal in a few years. Hoyer has repeatedly mentioned how the bullpen has hurt them the last few years, so it’s well past time to actually see some more money put into finishing off games.