The Los Angeles Dodgers secured free agent reliever Tanner Scott on a four-year, $72 million contract Sunday morning. This deal marks a significant setback for the San Diego Padres and another victory for their NL West rivals.
With Scott’s addition, the Dodgers have bolstered their bullpen, while the Padres have yet to make a major league signing or trade this offseason.
Scott’s signing comes just two days after Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki announced he would join the reigning World Series champions. Sasaki’s decision was a crushing blow for the Padres, who had been in the running to land him. However, San Diego didn’t even make it to the final two contenders, as the Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays emerged as Sasaki’s top choices.
Losing Scott was somewhat expected, given his pursuit of a lucrative deal that the Padres were unwilling to meet.
As the Dodgers continue to add stars to their roster, the Padres are enduring a quiet offseason. The team faces the challenge of improving while managing financial constraints, leaving them under pressure to make impactful moves before spring training.
Despite their limited spending compared to the Dodgers, the Padres came within one win of reaching the National League Championship Series last season. However, replicating such success will require creative roster-building.
Reflecting on the offseason struggles, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller expressed optimism, saying, “At the end of the day, we want players that want to be here. We’ll move forward and look to add to a really talented roster.”
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