The Dodgers on Thursday finalized their four-year contract with reliever Tanner Scott, which will pay the left-hander $72 million in total.
The 30-year-old reliever had a 1.75 ERA in 72 games between the Marlins and Padres in 2024, with 84 strikeouts and 36 walks in his 72 innings. Scott also tossed three scoreless innings across his four appearances against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series, with five strikeouts.
At $74 million, Scott has the fifth-largest contract ever signed by a relief pitcher, behind only the five-year deals for Edwin Díaz ($102 million), Josh Hader ($95 million), Aroldis Chapman ($86 million) and Kenley Jansen ($80 million). Scott’s $18 million average annual value trails only Díaz and Hader among relievers.
“They were the first ones to call,” Scott said of the Dodgers during his introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. “They’re not a fun team to face, especially 1-2-3, kind of unfair. But it’s awesome. I was really happy that they made an offer.”
Scott is the fourth player signed by the Dodgers this offseason to a contract of at least three seasons, joining starting pitcher Blake Snell (five years, $182 million), infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman (five years, $74 million), and outfielder Teoscar Hernández (three years, $66 million).
All four of those contracts include deferred salary as well as a sizable signing bonus upfront.
Scott will receive a $20 million signing bonus, and will be paid the following salaries, per both Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic and Jon Heyman of the New York Post:
2025: $11 million ($5.25 million deferred)
2026: $11 million ($5.25 million deferred)
2027: $15 million ($5.25 million deferred)
2028: $15 million ($5.25 million deferred)
A total of $21 million will be deferred, which reduce the average annual value of Scott’s contract for competitive balance tax purposes to $15,419.530, per Heyman.
Scott has a conditional club option for 2029 and would receive a $3 million bonus if traded, per Ardaya:
Tanner Scott’s Dodgers deal also includes a club option for 2029 worth $5 million (w/ incentives) if he suffers a “qualifying injury” and isn’t traded, per source.
He gets a $3 million assignment bonus if traded.
Also, $5.25 million of his annual salary is deferred each year.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) January 24, 2025
Scott’s signing fills the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, as the pitcher takes the open space vacated with the January 6 trade of Gavin Lux to the Reds. If and when the Dodgers finalize their reported agreement with reliever Kirby Yates, they’ll need to make a corresponding roster move to create room.