For much of this offseason you could hear a pin drop in the Braves rumor mill. Not a peep has surfaced outside of the reported early interest in Nathan Eovaldi. As the winter has progressed Alex Anthopoulos has chosen to remain patient and wait out the market.
Yes, plenty of talented players have signed deals already but not many have come at a price that had Braves fans furious at Anthopoulos for passing on. However, that hasn't stopped Braves' fans from pleading for any type of move from Anthopoulos. Thankfully, we got a snippet of hope the other day when David O'Brien of the Athletic said Atlanta had interest in the best bullpen arm on the market.
David O'Brien claims Braves have interest in LHP Tanner Scott
Most of the big names have signed mega deals already (including one former Brave), but the market has been a bit slower surrounding impact reliever Tanner Scott. The former Padre is projected to receive the highest deal amongst free agent relievers with some outlets predicting a four-year deal north of $55 million.
One thing we know about Alex Anthopoulos is that he certainly isn't afraid to throw money at relievers. Scott is a phenomenal hard-throwing lefty who could be the closer for Atlanta after 2025 when Raisel Iglesias hits free agency.
Re: Tanner Scott. I know an NL contender down South that lost two top setup men and hasn’t spent any big money yet this winter, a team that has a serious high-leverage lefty need in its bullpen. #braves https://t.co/8taMWq0naQ
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) December 25, 2024
Scott had a 1.75 ERA, 2.92 FIP, and 4.0 bWAR across 72 innings last season so he won't come at a discount. Given the other holes on the roster it may not be wise to allocate too much money towards the bullpen, especially when you consider Aaron Bummer and Dylan Lee are affective lefties already in the bullpen.
I think most Braves fans would certainly prefer a splash signing in left field or the rotation over a late-inning arm, although not many free agents left qualify as a splash. However, if the market keeps generating these high-dollar deals then perhaps Anthopoulos will pivot to building a powerhouse bullpen instead. Adding Scott would definitely give them that on paper.