The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to win the offseason. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported earlier today that the World Series champions added to their bullpen in southpaw Tanner Scott, signing the top reliever on the free agent market this winter to a four-year pact.
The 30-year-old Ohio product inked a $20 million signing bonus and will have $21 million deferred from his $72 million total. This will add to the number of players on the Dodgers roster with deferred money. Once the deal is complete, the team’s total payroll will exceed $375 million.
Scott is coming off a career year split between the Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres, where he posted a 1.75 ERA and a 2.92 FIP through 72 outings split between both squads. The left-hander racked up 22 saves – most of which were with the Marlins – and authored a 1.125 WHIP with a 10.5 K/9. He did see a slight uptick in the BB/9 compared to his 2023 numbers (4.5 vs. 2.8) but he was still one of the top relievers in the game with his 4.0 bWAR and 96th percentile pitching run value (+23).
Free agent Tanner Scott signs four-year deal with the Dodgers
The former Baltimore Orioles draft pick struggled through his first few seasons dating back to his 2017 MLB debut but came into his own in the 2020 campaign – a 1.31 ERA through 25 outings. He fell back on hard times in 2021 before being shipped to the Marlins early into the 2022 season, becoming the team’s closer.
Closer Tanner Scott and the Los Angeles Dodgers in agreement on a four-year, $72 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Scott, 30, was the best free agent reliever available this winter and got paid an elite amount as part of a deep Dodgers bullpen. @Feinsand was on the news.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 19, 2025
While his 2022 stats echoed his previous dip with the Orioles the year before, the 2023 campaign saw Scott establish himself as a go-to relief option. He locked down a 9-5 record with a 2.31 ERA through a career-high 78 innings and struck out 104 batters with a 0.987 WHIP. A.J. Puk led the squad in saves that year (15) but Scott was right behind him with 12 of his own and entered the 2024 season as the closer, taking the reigns from Puk.
The signing does come with some risk, given his career’s ups and downs and elevated free passes, but he improves an already impressive bullpen in L.A. and further cements the Dodgers’ offseason successes this winter. In addition to Scott, the club has added Blake Snell, Hyeseong Kim, Roki Sasaki, and Michael Conforto. They also brought back Teoscar Hernandez and Blake Treinen, in addition to a Tommy Edman extension.
Reportedly, the Blue Jays were interested in Scott and the Boston Red Sox had a higher AAV contract on the table for the reliever but he chose to remain in the NL West, making a powerhouse Dodgers squad that much more dangerous.
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