The Los Angeles Dodgers leaned heavily on their relievers last October. Ironically, this season, the bullpen has turned into their glaring vulnerability. The relief corps has struggled enough that the team has eventually turned to Shohei Ohtani to use him as a reliever this October. He will be “prepared to handle whatever role is needed.” Depending on the situation, he could be playing the outfield later in the game. Beyond the postseason run, the Dodgers will need a lasting fix.
The front office splurged heavily on the bullpen this past offseason. Consequently, it’s unlikely that Andrew Friedman will spend big again this season. However, if we were to go by Jon Heyman’s analysis, the Dodgers are eyeing their arch rivals’ $66.8 million phenom—Robert Suarez.
In the midst of yet another dominant season, the San Diego Padres star has a 3.02 ERA with 70 strikeouts over 65.2 innings across 66 appearances. He’s also leading the National League with 39 saves.
The 34-year-old still has at least a few more strong years. With $16 million and two years left on his contract, he’s expected to command a much higher figure. Sportarc has projected his value at four years and $66.8 million, and as it seems, it shouldn’t be an issue for the Dodgers.
Last winter, the Dodgers invested $72 million on Tanner Scott, $13 million on Kirby Yates, and $22 million on Blake Treinen. It’s almost embarrassing that neither of these deals worked out. All three have an ERA below 4.0,0 and clearly, the Dodgers would love to find another reliable arm now.
Turning to Robert Suarez would mean spending nearly as much as they did on Tanner Scott. Speaking of whom, the Dodgers still trust him after he performed well in the recent outings.
Dodgers manager’s unshakable faith in Tanner Scott
When the Dodgers commenced this season, Tanner Scott was expected to be their primary closer. While he was expected to be the anchor of the bullpen, things didn’t really go as planned. From mechanical issues to health concerns and uneven performance, Scott struggled visibly. Currently, across 53 innings, he has held a 4.73 ERA.
Among his latest stumbles was surrendering a walk-off grand slam last weekend. It hasn’t been many days since then, but in the recent games, he seems to be playing better than before. Speaking of his latest outings, Roberts said, “The last two have been good. I think the stuff has been better; the slider has been better. Hopefully, we found something.” Roberts said this after Scott gave consecutive scoreless appearances, retiring all six batters faced.
Last week, Scott called this season “the worst of his life,” and just days after his small sample of good outings, Roberts expressed his unshakable faith in him. “He’s one of our guys. I really believe without a doubt, for us to win the World Series, we’re going to need him.” He said.
Further, he added, “For me, I don’t see any other side. So the most important thing is for him to get confidence that baseball doesn’t hate him and he’s the best option when he’s out there.” Something that has been constant in Scott’s overwhelming season is unparalleled support from Roberts. It doesn’t seem like the Dodgers will part ways with him anytime soon, even if it requires making room for a new reliever.