Report: Diamondbacks linked to Marlins All-Star closer Tanner Scott in trade market

The Arizona Diamondbacks are linked to another Marlins left-handed reliever in trade rumors, this time being All-Star closer Tanner Scott. New York Post insider Jon Heyman reported on Saturday that Arizona is one of six teams vying for the left-hander’s services in a deal with the Marlins. The other five teams Heyman listed include the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Seattle Mariners as other potential suitors.

It’s unclear if the Diamondbacks’ acquisition of A.J. Puk affects the calculus at all, but as one of the top arms on the trade market, it could be diligence and possibly driving up the price on a division rival. General manager Mike Hazen did not rule out any further moves and the team would focus more on adding pitching to the club.

Scott, who just turned 30 last week, has been a top reliever for Miami the past two seasons, with a 1.89 ERA and 30 saves in 118 games. With a strikeout rate of 29.1% and opposing hitters putting up a .127/.264/.180 slash line, it’s clear why every contending club would be interested. However, the one issue about Scott is a 14.8% walk rate. It hasn’t been too detrimental, as the quality of contact against him is very poor with an 82.5 MPH average exit velocity and only barrel rate that ranks on the 79th percentile on Statcast at 5.9%.

The left-hander is a prime regression candidate due to that astronomical walk rate, but still has plenty of tools for strong run prevention due to the swing-and-miss and weak contact profile. He ranks in the 94th percentile with a 33.2% whiff rate and the 99th percentile in hard-hit rate (28.7%) amongst qualified pitchers.

Scott features two “plus-plus” quality pitches with a vertical four-seamer that averages 97 MPH with carry and an upper 80s slider with two-plane break. Both pitches have significantly more vertical break than the average offer at his velocity and spin rate, which is why hitters have had difficulty squaring him up.

It’s unclear what the final price will be for the All-Star left-hander’s services, but with six teams in the mix, you can expect a very high cost in terms of prospects.

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