The Dodgers invested in a closer last season, signing Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract after the World Series. Scott didn’t quite have the season the Dodgers would have liked, posting a 4.74 ERA in 61 appearances and making 10 saves over the course of the season.
Their bullpen as a whole ranked in the MLB’s bottom 10 teams in terms of ERA, with an ERA of 4.27 during the regular season.
“The Dodgers have one big need heading into the offseason: They need closure,” wrote González. “In a broader sense, they need familiar arms late in games, especially right-handers. Brusdar Graterol (coming off shoulder surgery), Blake Treinen (37 and coming off a tough year), Edgardo Henriquez and Will Klein (hard throwers with command issues) are the established players there, and they all have questions. So make sure the Dodgers are really aggressive in that area, either through free agency or trade, or both.”
The Dodgers have a lot of talent in the bullpen that they could move to a closer role, but with the options available on the open market, they should look to free agency to fill their needs.
If the Dodgers pursue a closer this offseason, they have plenty of strong options in this season’s free agency class. Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez are two clear options for the Dodgers, as they are both coming off incredibly strong seasons.
Should the Dodgers sign a closer, it would potentially address their biggest need heading into next season and provide a huge boost to a team that has already won back-to-back World Series titles.
Photo credit: Allan Henry-Imagn images
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