Los Angeles Dodgers closer Tanner Scott revealed the expectations of his four-year, $72 million contract have affected his performance this season.
Scott has featured in 58 games for LA this season, posting a 4.64 ERA through 54.1 innings pitched. He has nine blown saves in 2025, which is more than his previous two seasons combined. The Dodgers signed Scott in the offseason following a sub-2.00 ERA All-Star season with the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres.
“Anyone that would say no (they don’t feel it) is probably lying,” Scott said. “You always want to perform to the standard that you believe you are and the team and the fans see you as. When (stuff) goes south, you never want it to happen. But if baseball was easy, everyone would be playing it.”
Scott has struggled for consistency this season, especially in in the couple of weeks following his return from the injured list. The left-hander had two scoreless outings to mark his return before blowing a save against the Arizona Diamondbacks, then allowing a walk-off home run against the Baltimore Orioles in his next outing.
Just three appearances later, he gave up a walk-off grand slam to the San Francisco Giants’ Patrick Bailey.
“I haven’t performed to my standard and the team’s standard,” Scott said. “I signed here and I felt good. But the year has been up and down, up and down. You never want that to happen. You always want to ride the slow curve going up, not the bumpier road. It’s been a bumpy road this year.”
While he has shown his struggles this season, Scott seems to be on the come up since giving up that grand slam. He hasn’t allowed a run in any of his last four outings, and earned a save against the Giants on Friday in Clayton Kershaw’s last regular season start at Dodger Stadium on Friday.
If Scott can continue to produce these kinds of results, he will be a valuable piece of a bullpen which is improving with each game as October nears.