Tanner Scott Trade Rumors: Will the Marlins Move Their Breakout Closer?

FROM ROUGH 2025 TO RESURGENT 2026 Left-handed reliever Tanner Scott has flipped the script on his second year with the Los Angeles Dodgers. One season after posting a 4.74 ERA and a Major-League-worst 10 blown saves while battling elbow inflammation and a late-season abscess, the 31-year-old owns a sparkling 1.37 ERA through his first 21 appearances of 2026, drawing raves from pitching coach Mark Prior for being “a very important, stabilizing force.” OFF-SEASON RESET Scott’s rebound started the moment the Dodgers were eliminated last October. After reviewing video with Prior, he shortened his arm swing, reclaimed the late-life bite on his 98 mph fastball, and refined his slider grip to create more horizontal sweep. The goal: regain the unpredictable approach that made him elite with Miami and San Diego in 2023-24, when he logged a combined 2.04 ERA. A full, healthy winter allowed him to build strength rather than rehab, and the biomechanics team at Camelback Ranch reported a two-inch improvement in extension, helping his fastball play even faster. THE EDWIN DÍAZ EFFECT Los Angeles added star closer Edwin Díaz on a three-year, $69 million deal in December, a move widely viewed as insurance after Scott’s shaky debut season. Instead of bristling, Scott embraced the shared high-leverage role. Manager Dave Roberts now deploys the two flamethrowers based on matchups: Díaz often faces right-heavy pockets, while Scott neutralizes the opponent’s best left-handed bats. The arrangement has kept both arms fresh and has slashed the Dodgers’ bullpen ERA from 4.12 in 2025 to 2.63 entering July. NUMBERS THAT JUMP OFF THE PAGE • Strikeout rate: 38.4 % (up from 30.2 % in 2025) • Walk rate: 7.1 % (essentially matching last year’s career-best 7.2 %) • Opponent average: .146, second-lowest among NL relievers with 20+ IP • Saves/holds: 13 combined, zero blown opportunities WHY IT’S SUSTAINABLE Analysts point to four indicators suggesting Scott’s dominance is real: a ground-ball rate north of 55 %, hard-hit percentage under 25 %, a career-best first-pitch-strike rate, and a whiff rate that ranks top-10 among all relievers. Statcast data shows hitters are missing his slider 49 % of the time, up from 37 % last year, evidence that the new grip is baffling lefties and righties alike. IMPACT ON OCTOBER ASPIRATIONS With Clayton Kershaw retired and a young rotation still finding its rhythm, the Dodgers need airtight relief work to chase a fourth straight NL pennant. Scott’s renaissance, paired with Díaz’s All-Star form, has turned late innings from a 2025 liability into a 2026 weapon. If he keeps missing bats at this clip, the four-year, $72 million contract once labeled a bust may become one of the savviest bullpen investments in recent memory. WHAT’S NEXT Scott is on pace for his first career All-Star selection and is tracking toward a career-low ERA. For a pitcher who admitted 2025 was “terrible,” the bounce-back narrative is writing itself—one swing-and-miss at a time.