The Orioles, Red Sox and Blue Jays were interested in Tanner Scott

Tanner Scott is headed to Chavez Ravine, as he became the Dodgers’ latest significant acquisition when he signed a four-year, $72 million contract earlier today. The Cubs, Braves, Mets and Yankees had all been linked to the Scott market earlier this winter, but various reports this afternoon indicated that the Blue Jays, Orioles and Red Sox were also interested in the services left-handed.

The willingness of the Dodgers and other teams to give Scott four guaranteed years seemed to be a deciding factor for at least a few teams. Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner and Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com wrote that the Orioles and Red Sox, respectively, each had doubts about such a long commitment. In particular, Cotillo threw cold water on speculation that Boston had offered Scott a longer contract with a higher average annual value, as a source told Cotillo that such reports of an offer most important were “very inaccurate.”

The O’s always at least “stayed engaged” on Scott “a“It was a few days ago,” Kostka wrote, which could speak to the team’s familiarity with the reliever. Of course, Scott began his career as a Baltimore draft pick and spent his first five MLB seasons in an Orioles uniform, posting a 4.73 ERA in his 156 innings out of the bullpen of the team’s relievers. The big numbers and strikeout potential were clearly already there for Scott during his time in Baltimore, although it wasn’t until the 2023 season (when Scott was with the Marlins) that he finally seemed to resolve his long-standing control issues.

Baltimore’s one-year, $10 million deal with Andrew Kittredge from earlier this week also seems to generally fit Kostka’s schedule, so it’s no surprise that the O’s moved away from Scott after landing another high-leverage reliever at a much lower price. Kittredge projects as Orioles’ best setup man ahead of closer Felix Bautistawho returns after a year of recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Kittredge is the highest-profile reliever the O’s acquired this winter, while the Red Sox signed Aroldis Chapman And Justin Wilson on guaranteed contracts, and a few other veterans on minor league contracts. As Cotillo notes, the Red Sox have had discussions with Scott, Kittredge and several other relievers who have since signed contracts, as Boston continues to look for help in the back of its bullpen. Liam Hendriks is expected in the closer role, although some depth is a necessity since Hendriks (like Bautista) also missed 2024 while rehabbing after a TJ procedure.

Toronto fans won’t be happy to learn that the Blue Jays lost another target to the Dodgers, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post indeed reports that the Jays “were among (the) teams on Scott. The extent of the Blue Jays’ interest is not known, and since the Jays’ arrival Jeff Hoffman Last week, it seemed possible that Hoffman’s signing was a pivot to Scott’s burgeoning market.

That said, the Blue Jays have already been more aggressive than usual in adding relief pitching, which is no surprise considering how poorly their bullpen performed in 2024. Toronto has already added Hoffman, Nick Sandlinand old friend Yimi Garcia as part of the bullpen overhaul, and whether or not the Jays acquire another starting pitcher, Yariel Rodriguez could also be part of the relief mix if not used as a fifth starter.