The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed relief pitcher Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract.
The deal includes a $20 million signing bonus and $21 million in deferred payments, a method the Dodgers have used to acquire other star players such as designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. With the signing, the Dodgers have solidified their bullpen in an attempt to repeat as World Series champions.
However, this is not the only move the team has made to strengthen their roster. Earlier this winter, the Dodgers acquired starting pitcher Blake Snell to add to a rotation that already includes high-profile names such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. They have also resigned outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, signed Michael Conforto, signed Korean second baseman Hyesong Kim, extended infielder Tommy Erdman and signed star Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki.
Scott began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career in 2014 when he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles. He has also played for the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres. This past season saw Scott earn his first All-Star Game appearance as he recorded a 1.96 earned run average (ERA) in 72 appearances, striking out 84 batters, and allowing 36 walks in 72 innings.
With the addition of Scott, the Dodgers luxury tax payroll is estimated to be near $375 million, $70 million more than the team with the second-highest payroll: the Philadelphia Phillies. Many will see this as bad for baseball given the depth of talent the Dodgers have over almost every team in the league. However, a 162 game regular season will test the roster as several players in their starting lineup are aging and the starting rotation has been susceptible to injuries in the past. In a competitive National League (NL), the Dodgers will be battle tested in their quest to return to the World Series.
https://www.mlb.com/news/roki-sasaki-signing-with-dodgers-analysis
https://www.mlb.com/news/dodgers-chances-of-repeating-as-world-series-champs
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/43479164/dodgers-land-closer-tanner-scott-4-year-72m-sources-say
