Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Tanner Scott pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in a 5-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday. Scott allowed a pair of hits and struck out one in his inning of work. The lefty now has a 3.00 ERA and 0.89 WHIP and has gone 5-for-6 in his save opportunities. He appears to be the clear favorite for saves in LA, although Dave Roberts tends to change his bullpen usage more than other managers. Still, on a dominant LA team, Scott could be near the top of the league in saves this season if he can stay healthy and continue pitching well.
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Tanner Scott locked down the first win of the season for the defending World Series champions early on Tuesday morning in the first game of the Tokyo series. Scott came into the 4-1 victory in the ninth inning and retired all three hitters he faced. He struck out Cubs' rookie Matt Shaw for the final out of the game and earned his first save since signing a four-year deal with the Dodgers this offseason. Last year, he had 22 saves between the Marlins and the Padres, and he should be positioned as one of the elite closers in the game if he stays in the primary closer role for the Dodgers this season.
Tanner Scott To See Most Of The Save Opportunities
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Tanner Scott is expected to see most of the save opportunities early in the season. Earlier in the offseason, the Dodgers signed Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract. However, the team also brought in Kirby Yates, who was one of the most dominant ninth-inning arms last season for the Texas Rangers. Given this update, fantasy managers should expect Scott to carry the most fantasy value in the bullpen early in the season. However, given how deep the Dodgers bullpen is, Scott may not be given a long leash if he struggles. Fantasy managers should expect Yates, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, and Michael Kopech (forearm) to be in the mix for save opportunities if Scott struggles. Last season, the southpaw posted a stellar 1.75 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP. He struck out batters at a strong 28.6 percent rate and generated an excellent 27.5 percent hard-hit rate.
The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya reports that Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said that while left-handed reliever Tanner Scott will see plenty of ninth-inning chances in his first year with the team in 2025, he won't be the team's set closer. We figured as much, especially since the Dodgers also have Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips and Kirby Yates, who are all plenty capable of closing out games. Still, the 30-year-old Scott, who has 54 saves over the last three seasons with the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres, should see the most save opportunities for the Blue, making him the best closer target on this star-studded team for fantasy managers. The Dodgers signed Scott to a four-year, $72 million deal last weekend to further bolster their bullpen. On the best team in baseball, Scott should be considered a low-end No. 2 fantasy closer, at worst.
Tanner Scott Agrees With Dodgers On Four-Year Deal
Free-agent left-handed reliever Tanner Scott and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a four-year, $72 million deal on Sunday, according to a source. The Dodgers are winning the offseason by a wide margin after also securing Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki on Friday. Scott, 30, was the top closer available in free agency and will now join a Dodgers bullpen that already includes high-leverage right-handers Evan Phillips and Michael Kopech. While Scott could share save chances with Kopech, he should be considered the favorite for most of LA's save opportunities, boosting his fantasy value significantly on the best team in baseball. Scott was a first-time All-Star in 2024 and had a pristine 1.75 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with a career-high 22 saves, 84 strikeouts and 36 walks in 72 regular-season innings with the Marlins and Padres.
According to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, the Chicago Cubs are among the favorites to land free-agent relief pitcher Tanner Scott. Scott is one of the top remaining players on the open market. In addition to the Cubs, the Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, and Red Sox have been linked to the southpaw throughout the offseason. Last summer, Scott opened the campaign with the Miami Marlins and tallied 18 saves across 45 2/3 innings. He was then shipped to San Diego at the deadline and was deployed in the set-up role behind Robert Suarez. Overall, the 30-year-old posted a strong 1.75 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP across 72 frames of work. Currently, Porter Hodge is slated to be the ninth-inning option in Chicago. Last summer, he tallied nine saves with a 1.88 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP through 43 innings of work. Scott would be the top ninth-inning option if he were to join the Cubs.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the New York Mets are no longer targeting free-agent relief pitcher Tanner Scott. Puma noted that with the Mets signing A.J. Minter earlier on Friday, the team is no longer pursuing other options for their bullpen. The Mets met with Scott earlier in free agency, and he is still one of the top available options on the open market. Last season, Scott held a 1.75 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP across 72 innings of work. He tallied 22 saves and struck out 84 batters. He generated a stellar 27.5% hard-hit and 4.7% barrel rates, placing him in the 99th and 92nd percentile among qualified pitchers, respectively. He also generated ground balls at a strong 52.0% rate. The 30-year-old will likely be deployed as a ninth-inning option with his new club.
According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the New York Mets have met with free-agent relief pitcher Tanner Scott. Scott is viewed as one of the top remaining relief pitchers available on the open market. Sammon noted that according to a source, the Mets are looking to continue to bolster their current bullpen. Even though they already have an elite closer in Edwin Diaz, Scott would provide the Mets with a stellar 1-2 punch. Last season, the southpaw posted an excellent 1.75 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP across 72 innings of work. He struck out batters at a solid 28.6% rate and generated an elite 27.5% hard-hit rate and a 4.7% barrel rate. If Scott were to ink a contract with the Mets, fantasy managers should view him as an elite option for holds, as he would likely be deployed as the go-to option in the eighth inning.
According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, free agent relief pitcher Tanner Scott is seeking $20 million AAV on the open market. Cotillo noted that while the Red Sox have shown interest, Scott is expected to have multiple big-market clubs in the bidding. In addition, his new contract is expected to reset the relief pitcher market. Last season, Scott opened the campaign with the Miami Marlins and was eventually traded to the San Diego Padres. Across 72 total frames, the southpaw held a stellar 1.75 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP with a 28.6% K rate. He tallied 22 saves but only four with San Diego as he was deployed as the set-up man in front of Robert Suarez. Under the hood, the 30-year-old generated a strong 4.7% barrel rate and a 27.5% hard-hit rate. Given the current contract he is looking for, fantasy managers should expect him to be deployed as the clear ninth-inning option on his new club.
The San Diego Padres are finalizing a deal on Tuesday to acquire left-handed closer Tanner Scott from the Miami Marlins, according to sources. Check back for the return headed back to Miami for Scott, who has been one of the most dominant closers in baseball of late. The 30-year-old southpaw made the All-Star team for the first time in his career in 2024 and currently is 6-5 with a career-low 1.18 ERA (3.24 FIP) and 1.01 WHIP with 53 strikeouts, 27 walks and 18 saves in 45 2/3 relief innings. Scott has racked up 50 saves for the Fish in 185 appearances over the last three seasons and hasn't allowed an earned run since June 13. The bad news for his fantasy mangers, though, is that he could lose plenty of value with the move to San Diego, where he may be asked to share closing duties with hard-throwing right-hander Robert Suarez. It's unclear how the two closers will be used in SD. UPDATE: In addition to Scott, the Padres will receive Bryan Hoeing in exchange for Robby Snelling, Adam Mazur, Graham Pauley and Jay Beshears.