Padres All-Star Linked To Brewers In Possible Blockbuster Signing

Could the Brewers pull a fast one on the rest of the NL?
May 24, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres hats in the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images
May 24, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres hats in the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images / Brad Mills-Imagn Images
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Few saw it coming, but the Milwaukee Brewers' highly-touted bullpen was the cause of their demise in 2024.

On Thursday, with the Brewers and New York Mets facing a winner-take-all scenario, closer Devin Williams surrendered a go-ahead home run to slugger Pete Alonso in the top of the ninth. That turned a 2-0 Brewers lead into an eventual 4-2 loss, ending Milwaukee's best season in recent memory far too soon.

The Brewers are somewhat used to playoff disappointment by now, but this one stung more than usual. To avoid a similar fate in 2025, Milwaukee may need to make some radical adjustments to their future roster, even possibly in that well-stocked bullpen.

The top reliever available in free agency this winter is San Diego Padres star Tanner Scott, a 2024 All-Star with the Miami Marlins before being traded out west. Zach Pressnell of FanSided recently urged the Brewers to take a run at Scott on the open market this winter.

"Scott posted a 1.75 ERA in 72 innings this year. He allowed 5.6 hits per nine innings while striking out well over a batter per inning," Pressnell said. "He would be the perfect setup man for Williams, allowing the Brewers to take a bit of pressure off of their closer."

Scott, 30, would be one of baseball's premier setup men if he doesn't land with a team that intends to use him as a closer. He struck out 84 batters in 72 innings pitched this season, holding hitters to a .179 batting average and a measly .243 slugging percentage.

It hasn't necessarily been the Brewers' prerogative, though, to sign relief pitchers to lucrative free-agent contracts. Milwaukee is one of the best organizations in the game at developing relief pitchers and typically, they tend to get top-level bullpen production on a bottom-tier budget.

Signing Scott would mark a departure from the norm for this Brewers team that has been successful of late, but not quite successful enough. Maybe that's the shake-up Milwaukee needs to finally make a run at a World Series trophy.

More MLB: Brewers Surprisingly Urged To Sign Mets Four-Time All-Star Slugger


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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Milwaukee Brewers On SI please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org