Jan. 24: Scott’s deal additionally incorporates a conditional membership choice for the 2029 season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic experiences. That choice, valued at $5MM plus incentives, would solely be obtainable if Scott suffers a “qualifying harm” and will not be traded all through the four-year time period of his contract.
In essence, it’s possible a security internet for the Dodgers (and solely the Dodgers) within the occasion of a significant harm. Specifics concerning this selection aren’t but clear, although prior situations of conditional choices comparable to this one usually revolve round UCL accidents. Scott doesn’t have a no-trade clause, however he’d obtain a $3MM task bonus if traded to a different group, Ardaya provides.
Jan. 23: The Dodgers’ spending blitz formally continued Thursday, as they introduced the signing of left-hander Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72MM deal. Scott, a consumer of the MVP Sports activities Group, reportedly receives a $20MM signing bonus on the contract, which incorporates $21MM of deferred cash.
Scott was ranked because the #14 free agent on this winter’s class in MLBTR’s annual High 50 MLB Free Brokers listing, the place we predicted that the lefty would land a four-year, $56MM deal. His take care of L.A. is available in nicely above that mark, however that’s not essentially stunning given experiences earlier this month that indicated Scott may land a take care of a mean annual worth within the $20MM vary. Finally, this deal doesn’t go fairly that far, although his $18MM AAV continues to be fairly the premium for his place. In response to MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, Scott is tied for the third-highest AAV for a reliever in free agent historical past alongside Liam Hendriks’s take care of the White Sox with the pair trailing solely Edwin Diaz and Josh Hader. In the meantime, it’s the fifth-highest whole assure a reliever has ever landed in free company behind solely Diaz, Hader, Aroldis Chapman, and Kenley Jansen.
The $21MM in deferred cash within the deal may decrease the contract’s internet current worth beneath this tier of elite nearer, but it surely’s laborious to disclaim that Scott belongs in that elite firm primarily based on his unimaginable numbers the previous two seasons. He was among the many absolute best relievers within the sport final yr with a 1.75 ERA, 2.92 FIP, and a 28.6% strikeout price. His peripheral numbers had been even stronger in 2023, as he struck out an eye-popping 33.9% of opponents and posted a 2.31 ERA with a 2.17 FIP. Amongst certified relievers over the previous two seasons, Scott ranks fourth in ERA and fifth in FIP. Solely Félix Bautista of the Orioles and Cade Smith of the Guardians rank above Scott in each classes, and neither pitched in each the 2023 and ’24 seasons on the huge league stage.
In fact, that doesn’t imply Scott is essentially fully infallible. The southpaw struggled badly along with his command earlier in his profession, and people points had been a key issue within the lefty surrendering a pedestrian 4.61 ERA and three.91 FIP over his first six seasons within the majors. That’s left Scott with out the prolonged monitor file of a lot of his friends in late-inning aid, and even this previous season noticed Scott stroll 12.2% of his opponents. Scott managed to remain elite regardless of that hefty variety of free passes by conserving the ball within the park the previous two seasons, and the modifications he’s made to enhance his batted ball outcomes look like sustainable. Opponents barreled up 5.4% of their batted balls off Scott previous to the 2023 season, however the previous two campaigns have seen that quantity drop to simply 4.0%. Likewise, Scott’s Arduous-Hit price dropped from 36.2% in his profession previous to 2023 down to simply 26.7% over the previous two seasons.
The Dodgers are clearly betting on his efficiency to stay as elite because it has been the previous two seasons. L.A. obtained an up-close have a look at Scott’s dominance throughout final season’s NLDS, when he pitched three scoreless innings in opposition to the membership for the Padres and garnered 5 strikeouts- 4 of which had been in opposition to Shohei Ohtani. Waiting for the 2025 season, they’ll add Scott’s high-octane arm to an already sturdy bullpen that additionally options Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, and Alex Vesia within the late innings. With Scott presumably taking on because the membership’s nearer, the Dodgers will now have the flexibleness to make use of these leverage arms earlier within the sport. That’s significantly helpful within the case of Vesia, as he was the Dodgers’ solely late-inning aid choice from the left aspect final season.
Per RosterResource, the signing of Scott has pushed the Dodgers’ payroll for 2025 as much as slightly below $369MM, with a virtually matching luxurious tax payroll of slightly below $371MM. These figures don’t issue within the deferred cash in Scott’s contract, however that also places the Dodgers’ payroll for 2025 greater than $40MM greater than 2024, which was already a franchise file. They’re the one group spending even $300MM in payroll this yr, and one among simply three groups (alongside the Phillies and Yankees) with a luxurious tax payroll above that marker. The higher restrict on the membership’s payroll capability is unknown, however signing Scott (and Roki Sasaki final week) seem to have checked the ultimate packing containers the Dodgers had been recognized to be pursuing upgrades for this winter. Whereas additional upgrades to the roster definitely can’t be dominated out, the membership’s roster has little or no uncertainty and it might hardly be a shock if the Dodgers principally stood pat over the ultimate weeks earlier than Spring Coaching past maybe a long-anticipated deal to convey franchise stalwart Clayton Kershaw again into the fold.
With Scott off the market, right-handers Carlos Estévez and Kirby Yates are maybe the 2 greatest choices nonetheless obtainable in free company for golf equipment on the hunt for bullpen assist. Jansen, David Robertson, Kyle Finnegan, and Tommy Kahnle are among the many different late-inning aid arms obtainable. The Crimson Sox, Braves, and Cubs had been among the many different groups which were linked to Scott all through the winter, whereas the Rangers and Diamondbacks are amongst different golf equipment recognized to be out there for late-inning aid assist at this level within the offseason.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com first reported the settlement and the phrases. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic and Robert Murray of FanSided added particulars in regards to the signing bonus and deferrals.
Picture courtesy of USA At present Sports activities Photographs
