CJ Garcia
The Dodgers are coming off of a pretty quiet Winter Meetings, but that has not meant the rumor mill stopped spinning. The Dodgers kicked off the meeting by signing outfielder Michael Conforto to a one-year, $17 million contract and relief pitcher Blake Treinen to a two-year, $22 million contract, which was all they did during the meetings themselves.
The Dodgers have been rumored to be interested in solidifying the back of the bullpen with the best bullpen arm on the market, Tanner Scott. Per Robert Murray on the Baseball Insiders podcast, “there’s absolutely interest between both sides” when speaking on a potential Dodgers and Tanner Scott partnership.
Tanner Scott was a top-five baseball reliever during the 2024 season and undoubtedly the best left-hander. Scott finished his 2024 campaign with 72 IP, 1.75 ERA, and 84 Ks (28.6%). Scott throws two pitches that grade out amazingly with his fastball at 151 Stuff+ and his slider at 136 Stuff+…. 100 is league average! His fastball average is 97.0 MPH ( 3.8 MPH faster than the LHP average), and hitters have a .130 batting average against his primary pitch.
The consistent criticism with Tanner Scott is his high BB rate at 12.2% (7th percentile), but that has not constantly affected his success as his LOB% ( left on base %) is 79.7%, which is 6.2% better than the league average. Scott DOMINATED lefties, holding them to a .132 AVG and a .415 OPS, which sets him apart from the pack.
This current Dodger team is already considered favorites to repeat as champions in 2025, but acquiring Tanner Scott would make the team overwhelming favorites. When the rumors of the Dodgers pursuing Tanner Scott and Devin Williams first arose, I immediately thought that Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes should prioritize Tanner Scott.
Given Blake Treinen is getting $11 million AAV, the Dodgers could sign Tanner Scott for a contract of around four years,$66 million. Paying a premier reliever on the open market like Tanner Scott is essential, as opposed to using prospect capital or young bats to acquire a bullpen arm. Should Teoscar Hernandez not return to the Dodgers, that saved prospect capital could be used to acquire a bat or fill any necessities the team may have going into 2025.
In conclusion, I would love a Tanner Scott signing. The possibility of having a back end of the bullpen with options such as Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen, and Tanner Scott should make all Dodger fans extremely excited and eager to add premier talent.
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