Padres Bolster Bullpen with Tanner Scott, Marlins Rebuild with Young Talent
In a move that has become all too familiar, San Diego Padres General Manager AJ Preller has made another significant splash ahead of the trade deadline. This time, he’s acquired arguably the best closer on the market, Tanner Scott, along with right-handed pitcher Bryan Hoeing. Scott’s command has been a concern this season, but his swing-and-miss stuff remains intact, and he’s been dominant in July.
The addition of Scott joins an already-stacked Padres bullpen, featuring All-Star Robert Suarez and flamethrower Jeremiah Estrada. This trio will make the ends of games a nightmare for opponents, and it’s unclear if the team will bolster its rotation before the deadline. However, the bullpen should be able to shorten games for manager Mike Shildt and alleviate the load on a thin rotation.
On the other side of the deal, the Miami Marlins and General Manager Peter Bendix continue their dramatic rebuild. They’ve landed a quartet of young talent, including two arms and two bats with six-plus years of team control and varying levels of ceiling. The Marlins gave up just a few months of Scott, who is slated to reach free agency at the end of the season.
The Marlins’ haul includes Robby Snelling, a 20-year-old lefty starter with a sky-high prospect stock a year ago, but whose command has faltered this season. Adam Mazur, another young arm, has been pummeled by big-league bats in a small sample, but has the ingredients to be a back-end starter with the right adjustments. Graham Pauley and Jay Beshears are multi-position utility-type players, with Pauley likely to get a shot in Miami soon and Beshears still a few years away.
The Padres’ aggressive moves have set the tone for a thrilling stretch run, while the Marlins’ rebuild continues to yield exciting young talent.
