Dodgers notes: Tanner Scott, Pete Fairbanks, bullpen situation

When the Dodgers landed lefty Tanner Scott, they assumed that he would take over in full force as the team’s closer. Instead, the former All-Star blew 10 saves, put up an ERA of 4.74 and produced negative value in terms of both rWAR and fWAR.

There’s still $40.25 million that Scott will receive over the next three years (excluding deferred payments), and his contract is already starting to look like one of the worst in baseball. Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic shares his list of the 10 worst current contracts in baseball today, with Scott landing at the number 10 spot.

Scott’s deal seemed lavish last winter. It feels straight-up excessive after Scott’s 4.74 ERA in his first year with the Dodgers. Even if Scott suppresses the home runs that plagued him in 2025, it’s very difficult for any reliever to be worth $20 million on paper. Opponents slugged .520 against his four-seam in 2025.

There is still a chance that Scott can turn around the trajectory of his deal, but it hasn’t been sitting too well with Dodgers fans after the first year.

Another star reliever that the Dodgers showed interest in has found a new home, as Devin Williams will be staying put in New York, this time with the Mets on a three-year, $50 million deal. The Dodgers have expressed interest in former Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, but as Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo of The Athletic report, both the Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Marlins have kept tabs on him, and Fairbanks won’t net a deal close to what Williams received from New York.

Pete Fairbanks might be the next closer to sign. The Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Marlins are among the teams interested in him… As the markets develop for Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams and Robert Suarez, Fairbanks looms as a viable under-the-radar alternative.

The Dodgers certainly have plenty in-house options to upgrade their mediocre bullpen, notes Sonja Chen of MLB.com, as the team looks to prioritize that aspect ahead of the Winter Meetings. Chen notes that Edwin Díaz and Robert Suarez are at the top of the Dodgers’ wish list should they feel the need to spend more money on the bullpen.