LAS VEGAS— Last offseason Dodgers swung heavily in his off-season pursuit Impact bullpen additions.
However, after largely losing, they may now have to decide whether they are comfortable doing it again.
The Dodgers don't. the glaring needs of this winterbut the back of the bullpen is one area they will be upgrading. Although the team has sufficient relief depth, it does not have a clear definition of approaching 2026.
Main reason why: Tanner ScottHe's struggling after agreeing to a lucrative four-year, $72 million deal last winter.
Scott's signing became the second-largest contract with guaranteed money the Dodgers have ever given to a relief pitcher (behind the five-year, $80 million deal given to Kenley Jansen in 2017). It was a high-risk, high-reward move that, at least in the first year, quickly felt like a failure.
Scott posted a 4.74 ERA in the regular season, converted only 23 of his 33 save opportunities, and did not pitch in the postseason (due in part to the abscess cutting procedure he underwent in the National League Division Series).
Another big acquisition for the Dodgers last winter. Kirby Yatessuffered the same fate, posting a 5.23 ERA on a one-year, $13 million deal before injuries also knocked him out of postseason contention.
Scott will return next year and is one of several veterans the club hopes will make improvements. However, for a team seeking a third straight World Series title, adding a more established player is still an interesting addition.
Now the question is: will they be willing to do this as part of another long-term deal? Or will poor signings last year make them reluctant to go down the same path again?
It may not take long to start to recognize this.
Already at a general managers' meeting at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas this week, the Dodgers expressed interest in two-time All-Star Devin Williams, according to people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to speak publicly.
The 31-year-old right-hander had a down year with the New York Yankees (4.79 ERA, albeit with 18 saves in 22 opportunities), but his fundamentals remain strong and the Dodgers' interest in him dates back to last offseason, when he was a trade target for the club before ultimately landing in the Bronx.
With a mid-90s fastball and a signature “Bender of the Air” changeup that has made him one of the most prolific strikeout threats in all of the majors during his seven-year career (in which he has a 2.45 ERA and averages over 14 strikeouts per nine innings), he will significantly improve their ninth-inning outlook.
But the Dodgers pursuing him, first reported by The Athletic, may not be an easy decision.
Williams is expected to gain some serious suitors this offseason. And while some media outlets projected that he would only sign a one-year deal worth more than $20 million, others believe he would sign a three- or four-year deal.
By nature, the Dodgers tend to favor short-term deals, especially in a role as volatile as rotating players. If Williams does receive long-term offers from other clubs, it's unclear whether the Dodgers would be willing to accept.
The team could face a similar dynamic if it pursues other top forwards on the market, including three-time All-Star and top free agent prospect Edwin Diaz (who also has the added complication of a qualifying offer that would cost them a draft pick).
Ultimately, they will have to reconsider the high-risk, high-reward move.
And on Tuesday the CEO Brandon Gomez have taken a strong risk-averse stance after their failed signings last year.
“It's one of those things that I don't think is 'necessary,'” Gomez said of the team's interest in another splashy striker acquisition. “But it could be a good thing, depending on how it plays out.”
Of course, there are other alternatives.
Former Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Pete Fairbanks is one potential short-term target some in the industry see as a good fit for Los Angeles after he has 75 saves with a 2.98 ERA over the past three seasons.
Former Angels and Atlanta Braves right-hander Raisel Iglesias is potentially another player who has amassed 96 saves with a 2.62 ERA over the past three years, thanks to a mid-90s fastball and swing-and-miss swing that has kept him productive even at age 35.
Other familiar free agent pitchers available this winter range from former San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez to former St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets right-hander Ryan Helsley (who has also been linked to the Dodgers in trade rumors in the past).
The Dodgers could also explore the trade market this offseason or roll the dice with the current relief corps, which still includes Scott (whose problems in 2025 had more to do with execution than the quality of things) Alex Vecia (who has established himself as one of the best left-handed pitchers in the sport) and Blake Treinen (another forward the team is considering as a candidate to return after he battled injuries last season in the first season of a two-year, $22 million deal). They will also receive Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips returned from injury, Graterol is poised to be ready for the start of 2026 after missing last year with a shoulder issue, and Phillips is expected to return at some point next season after having Tommy John surgery last June.
For now, however, the team's search could depend on how the markets for Williams, Diaz and others develop – and whether it is willing to take another big step on a long-term deal.
“We have so many guys who can shut down and have done so in the past,” Gomez said, highlighting the team's current return to the bullpen. “But this is one area we can potentially add to the team.”
Skenes wins National League Cy Young Award, Yamamoto finishes third in voting
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will always be remembered for his historic performance in Dodgerspostseason last October.
His regular-season performance also received some well-deserved recognition on Wednesday.
While Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skence predictably won the National League Cy Young Award, leading the majors with a 1.97 ERA in just his second MLB season, Yamamoto finished third in a campaign in which he went 12-8, posted a 2.49 ERA in 30 starts and anchored a Dodgers rotation that had been decimated by injuries for much of the season.
Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Christopher Sanchez was the other National League Cy Young finalist and finished second. Skenes received all 30 first place votes, while Sanchez received all 30 second place votes. Yamamoto received 16 third-place votes.
Yamamoto's hit was the highest by a Dodgers pitcher since Julio Urias took third in 2022.
It caps a year in which the 27-year-old Japanese star has made significant strides since his MLB rookie season (when he had a 3.00 ERA and was limited to 18 starts by a shoulder injury) and helped take the Dodgers to the next level. World Series with a 1.45 ERA in six playoff appearances and a grueling 37 innings in October 1/3, including back-to-back complete games in the NL Championship Series and World Series, followed by back-to-back game-winning performances in Games 6 and 7 of the Fall Classic.
