Tanner Scott Earlier today, he signed a four-year, $720,000 contract, becoming the Dodgers’ latest big-money acquisition. The Cubs, Braves, Mets and Yankees were all linked to a move for Scott earlier this winter, but various reports this afternoon indicate that the Blue Jays, Orioles and Red Sox Teams are also interested in the left-hander’s services.
The Dodgers and other teams were willing to give Scott four guaranteed years, which seemed to be a deal-breaker for at least some teams. Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Standard and Chris Cortillo of MassLive.com wrote that the Orioles and Red Sox were each wary of committing to such a long time. In particular, Cotilo poured cold water on speculation that Boston was offering Scott a longer contract with a higher average annual value, with one source telling Cotilo that such reports of a larger offer were “Very inaccurate”.
O still at least “continues to engage” Scott “aA few days ago,” Kostka wrote, which could illustrate the team’s familiarity with the reliever. Scott, of course, began his career as a Baltimore draft pick and spent his first five MLB seasons in an Orioles uniform, logging 156 innings out of the team’s bullpen. The ERA was 4.73. Scott had clearly shown tremendous strikeout numbers and potential during his time in Baltimore, although it wasn’t until the 2023 season (when Scott was with the Marlins) that he finally seemed to have resolved his long-standing control issues.
Baltimore’s one-year, $10MM contract Andrew Kitteridge It also seems to be largely consistent with Kostka’s schedule from earlier in the week, so it’s no surprise the O’s moved on from Scott after acquiring another high-leverage reliever at a much lower price . Kittredge expected to be Orioles’ top playmaker in front of closers Felix BautistaTommy John surgery is about to return after a year of recovery.
Kittredge is the most high-profile reliever the O’s have brought in this winter, while the Red Sox Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson Signed to guaranteed contracts, and a number of other veterans signed minor league deals. As Cotillo noted, the Red Sox negotiated with Scott, Kittredge and several other relievers who later signed contracts, and Boston continued to seek help in the back end of the bullpen. Liam Hendricks Although Hendricks (like Bautista) will also miss 2024 while recovering from TJ surgery, some level of depth is necessary.
Toronto fans won’t be happy to hear that the Blue Jays lost to the Dodgers again, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post did report that the Blue Jays ” among [the] Team on Scott. The depth of the Blue Jays’ interest remains unclear since the Blue Jays landed Jeff Hoffman Last week, it seemed likely that Huffman’s signing would be the pivot away from Scott’s escalating market.
That said, the Blue Jays have been more aggressive than usual in adding relief pitching, which isn’t surprising considering the poor performance of their 2024 bullpen. Toronto has added Huffman; Nick Sandlinand old friends Yimi Garcia As part of a bullpen overhaul and contingent on the Jays acquiring another starting pitcher, Ariel Rodriguez If he’s not used as the fifth starter, he could also be part of the backup mix.
