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By Aaliyan Mohammed
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2024 and followed it up by signing an All-Star closer, Tanner Scott, the following offseason. The team may need to sign another closer after winning the World Series last season.
Scott was not the player the Dodgers hoped for. He led the team in saves, but did not have a great year. He posted a 4.31 ERA after posting a 2.04 ERA in the previous two seasons. He did not pitch in the postseason, and Rōki Sasaki ended up taking most late-game situations.
The Dodgers gave Scott a four-year, $72 million deal in free agency. However, if he is unreliable as a closer, the Dodgers will not sit idly by. Sasaki was signed to be a starter, and could get another crack at the rotation next year with Clayton Kershaw's retirement.
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Internally, the Dodgers could wait for Evan Phillips to get healthy. He has 45 saves since joining the Dodgers, but underwent Tommy John surgery in June. USA Today's Bob Nightengale predicted the Dodgers would take the aggressive approach and spend money on a new closer.
"(The Dodgers) just freed up $87 million, with Clayton Kershaw, Michael Conforto, Chris Taylor and Kirby Yates off the books," wrote Nightengale. "They’ll still be as aggressive as anyone and will come away at the least with a high-priced closer."
Options may be limited for the Dodgers, however. The Dodgers reportedly had interest in Devin Williams before he was dealt to the New York Yankees, but he did not play well last season at all. Ryan Helsley led the league in saves in 2024, but also struggled last season. Kyle Finnegan is also an All-Star closer on the market, but was not dominant last year.
If the Dodgers want to spend big, Edwin Díaz would make sense. He opted out of his deal with the New York Mets and was an All-Star last year. One year removed from a season-ending injury, he looked like his old self last season. The Dodgers are not the kind of team to wait around and hope Scott fixes things. Nightengale predicts the team will acknowledge the miss and seek a better option.
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