Conflicting – Reports on Tanner Scott make the Red Sox appear even worse…

So the Los Angeles Dodgers have done it again. Tanner Scott, a left-handed relief pitcher, agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract on Sunday. Scott was perhaps the most sought-after relief pitcher on the free agent market, with multiple teams interested in signing the southpaw.

The Atlanta Braves were said to be interested in Scott, but we know Alex Anthopoulos would not spend $72 million on a relief pitcher. The Boston Red Sox were also an obvious fit for Scott and were thought to offer him more money than the Dodgers; however, we are now learning that this information is incorrect.

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The Red Sox outbid the Dodgers for Scott.
After Tanner Scott and the Dodgers reached an agreement, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Red Sox extended Scott’s contract and increased his salary. Rob Bradford of WEEI has since confirmed that this is false.

It’s not surprise that the Dodgers were ready to spend more money than others, but this was an opportunity for the Red Sox to prove they’re serious about competing in 2025.

So far this summer, Boston’s rotation has added some standout players in Walker Buehler and Garrett Crochet. Their offense is more than respectable, featuring Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers, Triston Casas, and Trevor Story. At the present, Boston’s biggest vulnerability is its bullpen.

The Red Sox relievers concluded the 2024 season with a combined 4.39 ERA. This rated 24th out of 30th in Major League Baseball. Last year, Scott split his time between the Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres, demonstrating his durability with 72 appearances and an impressive 1.75 ERA.

Given that the bullpen appears to be the one area where the Red Sox need to improve, it is not a good look that they were unwilling to spend more money than the already super-team Dodgers on the best reliever available.