Already satisfied with a starting rotation that includes Cy Young winners, All-Stars and one of the greatest Japanese pitching prospects to ever cross the Pacific, the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers have now turned their attention in the bullpen.
As reported by MLB.com and ESPN, the Dodgers have agreed to a four-year, $72 million deal with former San Diego Padres reliever Tanner Scott, a hard-throwing lefty with a lively four-seam fastball and a challenging slider.
Scott was phenomenal between stops in Miami and San Diego last season, posting a 1.75 ERA (earned run average) for the season with an impressive WHIP (walks and hits per inning) of just 1.125.
Keep in mind that the Dodgers already have elite relievers like Blake Treinen (1.93 ERA in 2024), Brusdar Graterol (2.45 ERA) and converted starter Michael Kopech (2.54 ERA in 24 innings with the team last season). .
And with the recent additions of top starters like former San Francisco Giants ace Blake Snell and 23-year-old Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki, not to mention the return of injured pitchers like Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow, opposing fans are starting to get scared.
'Geez,' one fan complained about X. 'Should we even have an MLB season in 2025? Might as well give the Dodgers the repeat trophy right now.”
The Dodgers agreed to a four-year, $72 million deal with former San Diego Padres reliever Tanner Scott, a hard-throwing lefty with a lively four-seam fastball.
Toshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani (right) celebrate last year's World Series.
The Dodgers recently added Roki Sasaki, a top prospect, for a surprisingly low price.
Fans are ready to throw in the towel now that the Dodgers are adding a fantastic bullpen.
'Where is the weak link in the Dodgers' armor?' asked another fan. “I can't find it.”
A more sarcastic fan added: 'Cool. I was starting to worry that they wouldn't catch anyone this winter.
“YOU CAN NEVER LOSE A GAME,” wrote another exasperated commenter on X.
Not all of the Dodgers' stars were lured with nine- and ten-figure sums. Sasaki, for example, was only able to sign for $5 million because of MLB rules that limit teams' bonus money for prospects. Had he waited until he had accumulated six full seasons in Japan and turned 25, as his new teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto did last year, Sasaki would not have faced any restrictions on his new contract.
Yamamoto, meanwhile, signed a 12-year, $325 million contract in Los Angeles en route to a World Series title in his rookie season.
The team's most notable contract belongs to Ohtani, who arrived from the Los Angeles Angels last season on a loaded 10-year, $700 million contract, a pact that continues to rankle opposing fans.
'How long is it postponed?' one fan asked in response to an ESPN report about Scott's $72 million deal.
As reported by Fabián Ardaya of The Athletic, Scott's deal includes some deferred money.