The Los Angeles Dodgers invested heavily in left-handed reliever Tanner Scott this past offseason, signing the 2024 All-Star to a four-year, $72 million deal with the expectation that he would anchor a bullpen suddenly thin on high-leverage options. But as the 2025 season unfolds, that investment has come under early scrutiny.
Scott, 30, entered the season fresh off a dominant campaign split between Miami and San Diego, in which he posted a 1.75 ERA and a 32.7% whiff rate—ranking in the 91st percentile among all MLB pitchers. But so far in 2025, his form has been erratic. A particularly brutal seven-game stretch saw him allow 12 runs (10 earned) over just six innings, blowing three of four save chances and watching his ERA balloon to 4.55.
Dodgers: Tanner Scott’s Roller Coaster Ride: From Late-Game Meltdowns to Signs of Stabilization
Command issues, Scott admits, have plagued him. “I’m just not hitting my locations and it’s costing us,” he said after a blown save against the Mets on Monday. “It’s frustrating, especially when we battle back and it didn’t go my way.”
However, a turnaround may be underway. After a bullpen session with pitching coaches Mark Prior, Josh Bard, and assistant Connor McGuiness, Scott identified key mechanical flaws—specifically, opening up too early and failing to stay through his pitches. The adjustment paid immediate dividends. The very next night, in a near-identical high-leverage situation, Scott responded with a clean 10th inning.
Manager Dave Roberts, who has refused to name a set closer amid ongoing injuries to Brusdar Graterol, Kirby Yates, and now Evan Phillips (out for the season with Tommy John surgery), praised both Scott and the coaching staff. “Connor certainly deserves a lot of credit,” Roberts said. “The fastball had more life, the slider had swing-and-miss. That’s what we need.”
Still, questions remain. Scott’s fastball velocity is down slightly (from 97 to 96.1 mph), and his whiff rate has dipped to 28.1%, placing him in the 71st percentile. For now, Roberts is deploying relievers based on matchups rather than locking into a traditional closer.
With recent bullpen reinforcements—former Reds closer Alexis Diaz, ex-Mariners reliever Will Klein, and veteran Jose Ureña—the Dodgers are bracing for a bullpen-by-committee approach.
Whether Scott reclaims the role as a dominant late-game option remains to be seen. But Tuesday’s bounce-back suggests that, with mechanical tweaks and renewed confidence, the Dodgers may still get the pitcher they paid for.