The Dodgers just made a major move to shore up the back end of their bullpen, inking three-time All-Star Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69 million deal. It’s a bold addition-especially after last winter’s significant bullpen spending-but it’s also a clear signal: Los Angeles is tired of late-inning uncertainty.
Díaz arrives in L.A. with the kind of pedigree that brings instant credibility. He’s expected to become the club’s first true, go-to closer since Kenley Jansen last held that title back in 2021. And for a team that’s cycled through a committee approach in recent seasons, that kind of stability could be a game-changer.
The Dodgers’ bullpen was a rollercoaster in 2025. Inconsistent performances, injuries, and a lack of defined roles made the late innings a nightly adventure.
The plan heading into last season was for Tanner Scott-who signed a four-year, $72 million deal-to lock down the ninth. But things didn’t go according to script.
Scott’s 2025 campaign was, in a word, rough. He posted a 1-4 record with a 4.74 ERA and a 4.70 FIP.
His 1.26 WHIP wasn’t disastrous, but the 10 blown saves-the most in MLB-told the real story. He appeared in 61 games, throwing 57 innings, but never found the rhythm or reliability the Dodgers were banking on.
Manager Dave Roberts, though, isn’t ready to write off Scott just yet.
“If you’re talking about a place where we can improve, I still feel last year was an outlier year for Tanner Scott,” Roberts said recently.
Roberts pointed to several physical issues that hampered Scott throughout the season, some public, some not. The lefty missed a significant chunk of the second half with left elbow inflammation, and his season officially ended when he underwent an unexpected abscess excision procedure-yes, on his backside-that kept him out of the postseason entirely.
“I just think there were some things he kept under wraps about his body,” Roberts added. “I think the transition to L.A., and anything that could go wrong, went wrong.”
It’s a fair point. The move to a new team, a new city, and the pressure of anchoring a bullpen for a World Series contender can weigh heavy. But Roberts remains optimistic, citing Scott’s work ethic and prior track record as reasons to believe a rebound is coming.
And that track record is no joke. In the two seasons before joining the Dodgers, Scott was one of the most effective relievers in baseball-logging 150 innings with a 2.04 ERA, 2.53 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, and a strikeout rate north of 31%. That’s elite-level production, and it’s why the Dodgers were willing to invest in him last winter.
Now, with Díaz in the fold, the Dodgers don’t need Scott to be the guy. They just need him to be a guy-someone who can get big outs in the seventh or eighth, or even close games when Díaz needs a breather. General manager Brandon Gomes has echoed Roberts’ confidence, saying the team expects Scott to be a bigger factor in 2026.
Bottom line: the Dodgers are betting that Díaz brings the firepower to lock down the ninth, while Scott bounces back and helps form a lethal late-inning combo. If both guys deliver, this bullpen could go from a question mark to a strength-and that’s exactly what L.A. is counting on.