OFFSEASON NEWS/RUMORS Thread

@DodgersNation
On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you in a bounce back season for Tanner Scott with the Dodgers next year?

 

To be fair, stranger things have happened, but the Dodgers absolutely cannot count on it, especially if the intention is to make Sasaki a starter. They have to have another reliable closer in place, and if Scott bounces back, it would be icing on the cake. And if not, make him an expensive mop up duty guy. Obviously they're not going to cut him and a trade seems far fetched without eating contract or having to sacrifice high level prospects.

 

i could see him being better but i don’t see him being an effective closer
especially if his poor control (wildness in the strike zone) has extended to problems between the ears

 

• Dodgers’ GM Brandon Gomes revealed that the Dodgers will be giving Tanner Scott another chance to prove himself as their closer in 2026.

 

So how should the team manage the development of Rushing next season?

I believe that he has too much potential to make him just a backup catcher. But clearly there's not a starting catcher role for him on the Dodgers, so he has to either be converted to another position permanently or traded. At the moment, his trade value is too low based on last season. Dodgers need him to hit at this level next year so that they can capture his full value in a trade. The blog linked below says to give him a couple weekly starts at C, a couple in the OF, and occasionally at 1B and DH (??) so that he gets enough ABs to develop. Do you agree?

https://dodgersway.com/dodgers-coul...ilemma-by-following-yankees-budding-star-path

 

And then after next year put him on the coaching staff.

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers are chasing a three-peat in 2026, but the quest will be without Josh Byrnes, their senior vice president of baseball operations, who oversaw the organization’s scouting and player development. Byrnes was named the general manager of the Colorado Rockies Wednesday morning. He will serve under Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta.

 

of course you of all people would say that
probably only one other person here would agree with you
if this was the past instead of the present

 

or just move teo to LF where he’d be less of a liability
pages in RF and then get a CF or give kim and/or freeland a shot
kiké if re-signed has also played CF

 

The latest on Stone and Ryan is that both are projected to be full-go by ST, meaning this isn't a situation where they'll miss the start of the season. Of course, they'll need to build up to starter innings, and there's always the wait-and-see on if they'll regain full effectiveness after their surgeries. But it's optimistic news, no doubt.

Also, the Dodgers FO is on record saying that the plan for Roki is to move him back to the starting rotation.

By my count, that's three new starters over the end of last year with only Kershaw's vacancy to fill.

So I find it interesting to keep reading that a starting pitcher is high on the Dodgers needs list this winter. Sure, the acquisition of a top-line starter could preempt one of the back-end arms, but at what cost, and at what effect on filling other lineup needs?

I concede that a full stable of starting pitchers is NEVER enough. The inevitability of injuries and their DL stints will see to it. However, the eight players alluded to above, plus Ferris and a couple of the other young arms potentially ready later in the season, makes me prefer to see the team focus on really shoring up their weakest link from last year, the bullpen -- and this leads the conversation back to Scott.

The Dodgers didn't go cheap last winter on bullpen pieces, and for the most part it failed. But I hope that doesn't influence the FO to go cheap this year. Give Scott a chance to see if he can rebound, but have another leverage arm signed in case he can't. If Scott surprises, it will be a good problem to have.