The Los Angeles Dodgers have done a great job addressing their needs this offseason. Their latest win included signing highly sought-after pitcher Roki Sasaki. Sasaki effectively gives the Dodgers the best pitching staff in baseball, as their rotation is loaded beyond belief.
That rotation now features Sasaki, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow. MLB teams are right to be envious of a rotation with as much potential as LA's. It's an incredibly talented group, with even more depth thanks to the presence of Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and perhaps Clayton Kershaw.
The offense is going to remain dangerous as well, with the triumvirate of Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman doing damage atop the batting order.
However, the Dodgers need to improve their bullpen, especially on the back-end.
Dodgers would carry one of the deepest bullpens in baseball with free addition of Tanner Scott
Tanner Scott remains on the free agent market and is arguably the best arm available. L.A. already has two talented lefties, Anthony Banda and Alex Vesia, though both profile better as middle-inning options. Scott would be a great option for the team to add a southpaw for high-leverage situations in the late innings.
Scott even has experience closing games and his numbers are pretty impressive. Last season, when taking the ball in the ninth inning or later, he logged 37.1 innings (39 games) with a 1.21 ERA, including 18 walks and 44 strikeouts, not to mention 22 saves.
MLB expert Jon Morosi mentioned that Scott has multiple offers on the table and is expected to make a decision in the coming days. There are plenty of contending teams that could use an arm of his caliber.
The Cubs are among the top remaining suitors for Tanner Scott, sources say.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 18, 2025
Scott could decide from among several multiyear offers this weekend. @MLBNetwork
Brusdar Graderol, Ryan Brasier, Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips and Blake Treinen are great right-handed options that round out the Dodgers bullpen. There's a reason LA had the fourth best bullpen in baseball last season with a 3.53 ERA over 648 innings.
Adding Scott to an already-loaded bullpen would make the Dodgers immediate World Series favorites, assuming they aren't already. They'd have a deep lineup, a great starting rotation, and a foreboding bullpen. It's hard to beat teams that have that kind of depth.
Signing Scott wouldn't guarante that the Dodgers will win the World Series, as it is a long season and injuries happen. However, Los Angeles would be foolish to not do their best to build an intimidating bullpen to match its absurd offense and legendary rotation.
Editor Update: Not to toot our own horn, but we were right on the money with this one. Scott signed a four-year deal with L.A. shortly after publishing.
BREAKING: Tanner Scott and the Dodgers have agreed to a four-year, $72 million deal, per source.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 19, 2025