Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIJanuary 19, 2025
Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Dodgers and free agent left-handed relief pitcher Tanner Scott have agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, Scott was down to the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs before choosing L.A.
Jon Morosi @jonmorosiHeard the Cubs offered Tanner Scott a 4-year contract at $66 million, prior to his agreement with the Dodgers. @MLBNetwork @670TheScore
The news comes two days after Japanese pitching star Rōki Sasaki announced that he would be signing with the Dodgers.
The 30-year-old Scott went 9-6 with a 1.75 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 72 innings for the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres last year, earning his first All-Star appearance as well.
Scott, of course, was one of the best pitchers available on the free agent market this year (starter or reliever). He was tremendous last season and makes a team strength even better after the Dodgers finished third in MLB in bullpen ERA.
As for the Dodgers, they remain fiercely committed to building this team, regardless of the cost.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan provided a look at the Dodgers’ luxury tax payroll after the defending World Series champions made another splashy move.
Jeff Passan @JeffPassanWhen Tanner Scott’s deal is made official, the Dodgers’ luxury-tax payroll for 2025 will exceed $375 million. That is about $70 million more than the next-highest team, Philadelphia. The Yankees are the only other team with a CBT payroll projected to be over $300 million.
During the 2023-24 offseason, the Dodgers committed over $1 billion in signing Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Teoscar Hernández, re-signing Clayton Kershaw and extending Tyler Glasnow after acquiring him via trade from the Tampa Bay Rays.
L.A. won a league-high 98 games last year despite dealing with a litany of injuries and won the franchise’s eighth World Series.
This year, the Dodgers have stayed busy again, signing Blake Snell, Hyeseong Kim, Michael Conforto, Scott and Sasaki and re-signing Hernandez and Blake Treinen.
They’ll now enter next season as the clear World Series title favorite again. Opening Day is on March 18 in Tokyo, when the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs play a two-game series.
