Padres Lose Crucial Free Agent to Rival Dodgers in Massive Signing

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent reliever Tanner Scott on a four-year, $72 milion deal Sunday morning. This is a huge loss for the San Diego Padres, and yet another win for their NL West rivals.

The Dodgers strike again! They sign closer Tanner Scott to 4-year, $72 million contract.@Feinsand 1st with news
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 19, 2025

With the arrival of Scott in Los Angeles, the Dodgers' bullpen is solidified. Meanwhile, the Padres have yet to make a major league signing or trade.

Scott joining the Dodgers comes just two days after Roki Sasaki announced he would be joining the reigning World Series champions. The Japanese phenom's announcement came as a brutal blow for a Padres team that was poised to land Sasaki.

What was even more crushing surrounding the Sasaki sweepstakes was the Padres failed to make the final two suitors in the competition, as the Toronto Blue Jays and Dodgers were the final teams being considered.

The loss of Scott to the Padres' bullpen was somewhat predictable since the reliever was seeking a lucrative deal, which San Diego could not give.

While the Dodgers continue adding pieces to their star-studded roster, the cold winter continues for the Padres. The organization will have to make a flurry of moves before spring training, but are also faced with the financial dilemma of spending less.

How does a team bring in more talent while spending less? It's evident the Padres are still trying to figure out how, but they have made surprising moves in the past to keep up with division rivals.

San Diego was one win away from reaching the National League Championship Series, and the organization did not spend nearly as much as the Dodgers.

At the end of the day, the loss of Scott is the same reaction to the Sasaki signing where president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said it best.

“At the end of the day, we want players that want to be here,” Preller said. “We’ll move forward and look to add to a really talented roster.”