Roki Sasaki may have been the exclamation point for another big Dodgers offseason.
But the team isn’t done adding to its 2025 roster just yet.
In another splashy offseason signing Sunday morning, the Dodgers agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract with lockdown left-hander Tanner Scott, according to multiple reports, bolstering an already strong bullpen with a late-inning weapon that is their lineup plagued the playoffs last year.
Scott, an eight-year veteran who began his career as a midfielder with the Baltimore Orioles and Miami Marlins, has become one of the best southpaws in the sport in recent years – and perhaps the best reliever ever in free agency. Market this winter.
Read more: Prior to Roki Sasaki’s post, MLB found no evidence of a handshake deal with the Dodgers
In 2022, he recorded 20 saves for the Marlins with a 4.31 ERA (the lowest of his career to date outside of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season).
He was even better in 2023, posting a 2.31 ERA with 12 saves and 104 strikeouts in 78 innings, the highest of his career.
Scott’s best season, however, came last year when he earned his first All-Star selection with a 1.75 ERA and 22 saves and was traded from the last-place Marlins to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline , which go to the playoffs.
Before heading to San Diego, Scott was a deadline target for the Dodgers, who ultimately turned to starting pitcher Jack Flaherty instead.
When the teams met in the National League Division Series, Scott became one of the Padres’ most trusted weapons. He managed four scoreless outings while striking out Shohei Ohtani all four times he faced the left-handed batsman.
Now the Dodgers will count 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 comes just two days after the Dodgers signed Sasaki. Acquiring the 23-year-old pitching phenom from Japan immediately became a highlight of their offseason. However, the team identified another back-end bullpen option as a need early next season.
Read more: Roki Sasaki Signs Takeaways: How Much Will He Earn? How good could the Dodgers’ rotation be?
Although they had liked Scott since the start of the offseason, they also evaluated other replacements who remained on the free-agent market, including discussions with veteran All-Star right-hander Kirby Yates, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation , but were not authorized to speak publicly.
However, Scott always seemed to be the best option and became a high-priority target within the organization after the team failed to acquire Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams in a trade.
And although Cot’s Baseball Contracts says his signing will increase their luxury tax revenue for next season to nearly $380 million – about $70 million more than any other team currently – the Dodgers haven’t hesitated.
They had already improved their starting lineup and bolstered their star-studded lineup this offseason. Now they’ve also successfully strengthened the bullpen and landed another star addition in another offseason full of them.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.