Dodgers agree to terms with Tanner Scott in another offseason splash

Roki Sasaki could have been the exclamation point to another great Dodgers offseason.

But the team has not yet finished expanding its squad for 2025.

In another high-profile offseason signing Sunday morning, the Dodgers agreed to a four-year, $72 million deal with left-handed reliever Tanner Scott, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly, strengthening an already strong bullpen. with another veteran weapon late in the round.

The deal includes a $20 million signing bonus and $21 million in deferred salary, one of the people confirmed, marking yet another high bonus/deferral contract structure that has become one of favorites of the Dodgers front office in recent years.

And it further bolsters the Dodgers’ claim to have the best team in baseball, taking a player who tortured their lineup in the postseason last year and adding him to their World Series title defense in 2025.

An eight-year veteran who began his career as a middle relief arm with the Baltimore Orioles and Miami Marlins, Scott has become one of the best lefties in the sport in recent years – and perhaps the best reliever in the whole. the free agent market this winter.

In 2022, he recorded 20 saves for the Marlins with a 4.31 ERA (the lowest of his career to this point outside of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign).

In 2023, he was even better, posting a 2.31 ERA with 12 saves and 104 strikeouts in a career-high 78 innings.

Scott’s best season, however, came last year, when his 1.75 ERA and 22 saves earned him his first All-Star selection and a trade from the last-place Marlins to the San Diego Padres , in the playoffs.

Before heading to San Diego, Scott was a deadline target for the Dodgers, who eventually turned to starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.

When the teams met in the National League Division Series, Scott became one of the Padres’ most reliable weapons, pitching four scoreless outings while striking out Shohei Ohtani all four times he faced the left-handed slugger.

Now the Dodgers will have Scott among their highest-leverage options, adding him to a bullpen that returns just two left-handed relievers from last year’s team, Alex Vesia and Anthony Banda.

Scott’s signing, which was first reported by MLB.com, comes just two days after the Dodgers landed Sasaki, with the acquisition of the 23-year-old starting pitching phenom from Japan becoming a high point snapshot of their offseason. However, the team still identified another bullpen option as a need for next season.

Although they liked Scott since the start of the offseason, they were also evaluating other relievers remaining on the free agent market, including talks with veteran All-Star right-hander Kirby Yates, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation but not authorized to do so. speak publicly.

Scott, however, still emerged as the better option, becoming a high-priority target within the organization after the team’s failure to land the Milwaukee Brewers’ Devin Williams in a trade.

And although, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, his signing will bring their luxury tax payroll for next season to about $375 million – some $70 million more than any other team currently – the Dodgers have no not hesitated. Instead, as Fanside first reported, they negotiated their fourth contract this offseason to include both a big carry (which helps reduce the annual average value for luxury tax purposes of team) and a big signing bonus (which, in Scott’s case, will come as a tax benefit since he’ll receive it in his home state of Florida, where the income tax is zero).

The Dodgers had already improved their starting rotation and strengthened their star-studded lineup this offseason. Now, they’ve also managed to shore up the bullpen, adding yet another star in another offseason that’s been full of them.