The Los Angeles Dodgers came out victorious in the Tanner Scott sweepstakes, which seems to have been the case with a number of top free agents. For Scott, his decision came down to either the Dodgers or the Chicago Cubs, and Scott decided to stay out west by signing a four-year, $72 million deal.
Tanner Scott turned down a deal from the Cubs
For a closer, that is a hefty price to pay for Los Angeles, but it is a deserved one considering that he is one of the game’s top closers. The Dodgers weren’t the only ones willing to go the extra mile, however, as the Cubs’ offer was almost equally as competitive.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that the Cubs offered a deal that was for four years and $66 million. Scott turned down that offer to join the Dodgers, who have scored a number of top free agents this winter including Blake Snell, Teoscar Hernandez, and Roki Sasaki.
“Heard the Cubs offered Tanner Scott a 4-year contract at $66 million, prior to his agreement with the Dodgers,” Morosi posted on X.
The Cubs have had a busy offseason themselves, and they would’ve gotten a huge bullpen upgrade in Scott. Chicago has signaled a willingness to compete in 2025 after they acquired Kyle Tucker from the Astros and got off of Cody Bellinger’s contract by trading him to the Yankees.
The Cubs will need to pivot following Scott’s signing
Scott is one of the game’s top closers, as he boasted a 1.75 ERA and recorded a career-high 22 saves with both the Marlins and Padres. He now joins a loaded Dodgers bullpen that includes Evan Phillips, Michael Koepch, and Alex Vesia, and figures to be the closer among that group.
The Cubs have been in on a lot of the big free agents, but their options are dwindling. They could pivot towards free agent closer Carlos Estévez, whose market is expected to heat up now that Scott is off the board.
Ultimately, the Dodgers managed to outbid another team for a prized free agent, and time is running out for the Cubs to make another splash move before the start of Spring Training next month.
