The Los Angeles Dodgers flexed their financial muscle when they signed All-Star closer Edwin Diaz to a three-year, $69 million deal earlier this offseason. The righty will surely make an already dangerous bullpen even more deadly with his signature flare, but his presence may also help reliever Tanner Scott experience a resurgence in 2026.
Scott struggled for much of the 2025 campaign and did not participate in the postseason after undergoing a procedure to address a lower-body abscess. While it would be easy to assert that Scott is past his prime, the Ohio native’s track record and underlying metrics suggest that he will experience a legitimate turnaround.
“I just think there were some things he kept under wraps about his body,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Matt Borelli of DodgerBlue.com. “I think the transition to L.A. and anything that could go wrong, went wrong. I just feel he works his tail off, he’s too talented, and his track record was nothing like last year. So I just think it was an outlier of a season.”
Tanner Scott will be more comfortable in 2026
Scott went 1-4 with a 4.74 ERA and a 4.70 FIP across 61 games and 57 innings last season. He recorded 23 saves but also led baseball with 10 blown saves. All told, the former sixth-round draft pick did not live up to his typical All-Star caliber.
During his 2023 and 2024 seasons with both the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres, Scott could be considered one of the most efficient relievers in the game. He boasted a cumulative 2.04 ERA over 146 appearances between the two clubs and rightfully earned the four-year, $72 million contract that he inked last winter.
In addition to the lower-body abscess that cut his season short, Scott also dealt with lingering discomfort in his throwing arm throughout the campaign. It is not outlandish to suggest that his 2025 would have been much more productive if he were at full strength. His track record suggests that, if healthy, he will be able to make the proper adjustments and return to form.
“There were moments where it looked right, he felt OK, but he just never felt comfortable,” Roberts told Sonja Chen of MLB.com. “But he's never going to use that as an excuse, though. To have a regular offseason, to kind of prepare for '26, he's going to be on a mission next year.”
Tanner Scott’s advanced metrics are encouraging
Scott’s basic stat line from last season is not pretty, but his advanced marks left reasons to be optimistic. The 31-year-old ranked in the 99th percentile in Chase rate and the 84th percentile in Fastball Velocity. Even while dealing with nagging discomfort and the challenge of adapting to a new environment, Scott was still able to utilize his fastball and generate swings and misses. It is possible that his down season was purely a product of both injuries and bad luck.
“I think with Tanner, there was a lot of batted-ball luck and things that would be very hard to repeat again,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “We’ve seen it happen with elite relievers before. So I’m very confident that Tanner is going to come back and have a great season for us and be a big part of our success.”
The Dodgers will attempt to become the first team to win three straight World Series titles since the New York Yankees accomplished the feat from 1998 to 2000, and a healthy and productive Scott could help transform their bullpen into a more lethal group.
