When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract during the offseason, they envisioned one of the best relief pitchers in baseball fortifying the backend of their bullpen.
The left-hander was coming off an All-Star campaign with the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres that saw him post a 1.75 ERA in 72 appearances. However, Scott’s early results with the Dodgers have been a mixed bag.
The 30-year-old has a 3.98 ERA in 31.2 innings pitched, which would be his highest since the 2022 season. Scott has already blown five saves this year, including three in the last three weeks.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that Scott’s lucrative contract placed high expectations on him but that it isn’t realistic to expect perfection, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“Yes, it does. And you can look at any big contract and that’s unrealistic,” Roberts agreed. “I think for me we signed him to take the baseball, to pitch in whatever role. He’s doing that. And also the point is, we’re betting on him not just for the season but for the postseason.
“I do think a guy that has taken the baseball deserves some grace in the infancy of his contract. Because he’s not perfect. He’s never going to be perfect.”
It isn’t uncommon for players to initially struggle in the first year of a big contract. Some of Scott’s struggles were attributed to an average fastball velocity that is slightly down from a year ago and mechanical issues.
He is also throwing more strikes than ever before, but generating fewer swings and misses and harder contact.
Tanner Scott ‘living in the middle’ of strike zone
Roberts recently noted that Scott has largely struggled to put batters away with two strikes up until a recent stretch, which was likely a product of leaving too many pitches in the middle of the zone.
The Dodgers previously asked Scott to stay in the strike zone more often, which has resulted in fewer walks but more balls being put in play.
Scott’s adjustments with Dodgers pitching coaches have helped correct some of those woes and he’s getting closer to consistently meeting expectations.
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