With Edwin Díaz anchoring the bullpen, the Dodgers bet on Tanner Scott rediscovering his dominant form, eyeing a powerful late-inning tandem.
By signing the top reliever on the free-agent market this winter, the Los Angeles Dodgers believe they have reshaped the back end of their bullpen into a formidable late-inning tandem. The addition of Edwin Díaz on a three-year, $69 million contract gives the Dodgers an established closer, while also setting the stage for a potential rebound season from Tanner Scott.
Díaz’s arrival came one year into Scott’s four-year, $72 million deal, a contract that opened with uneven results. Scott’s first season in Dodger blue was defined by inconsistency and physical setbacks, a far cry from the dominant form he showed in the two years prior. While the Díaz signing reflects the bullpen’s overall struggles in 2025, it does not signal a loss of confidence in Scott’s ability to contribute in high-leverage situations.
From 2023 to 2024, Scott established himself as one of baseball’s most effective left-handed relievers, posting a combined 2.04 ERA across 146 appearances with Miami and San Diego. That production did not carry over last season, as Scott finished 2025 with a 4.74 ERA in 61 outings. He also recorded 10 blown saves, the most in the Majors and four more than he had combined in the previous two seasons.
Health played a significant role in that downturn. Scott missed roughly a month after landing on the injured list with left elbow inflammation in July, and Dodgers leadership later suggested he may have been pitching through discomfort earlier in the year. Those issues appeared to catch up with him down the stretch, when he surrendered four walk-off hits in the final month of the regular season, including three over a four-game span in early September.
Though Scott remained on the postseason roster for the NL Wild Card Series and Division Series, he never warmed up during games and was eventually removed from the NLDS roster after undergoing a procedure to address a lower-body abscess, ending his October early.
Despite the rough finish, flashes of effectiveness remained. After a stretch of blown saves in late May, Scott adjusted his approach and went on a strong run, allowing just two runs (one earned) while converting eight saves over 13 appearances.
Command, rather than control, proved to be Scott’s primary challenge. While he significantly reduced his walk rate from the previous season, his pitch locations suffered, leading to more hittable offerings. Scott identified mechanical inconsistencies as the root of the problem, though he struggled to sustain those fixes.
The Dodgers view 2025 as an aberration rather than a trend. With improved health, mechanical stability and the pressure eased by Díaz’s presence, they believe Scott is well positioned to reestablish himself as a reliable late-inning weapon in 2026.