Padres might've gifted Dodgers the poison pill that's going to sink their season

Padres fans always knew that left-handed reliever Tanner Scott was going to leave San Diego. A rental used for the back-half of the 2024 season, Scott was one of the top bullpen arms in the sport, donning a 1.75 ERA between two teams.

He was one of the biggest names on the free-agent market this past winter, and it was obvious he would sign with a contending club. As they always do, the Los Angeles Dodgers landed the big name, signing Scott to a hefty four-year, $72 million deal. But it's the Dodgers, and money is no object to them, as long as their players are performing well.

About that. Scott - an All-Star in 2024 - has been a less-than-ideal bullpen option for the NL West-leading Dodgers this year, especially as of late. He's allowed 10 runs on 13 hits over his last seven appearances, inflating his season ERA to 4.73. Dating back to May 20, he alternated good and bad outings, surrendering multiple runs four times over this span. He's been tabbed with a pair of losses and a pair of blown saves during this stretch, too.

"I'm just not hitting my locations," Scott said, "and it's costing us."

Two of those clunkers came against the New York Mets, the team that opposed Los Angeles in the 2024 NLCS. What's going to happen if those two same clubs reach the championship series again? Are the Dodgers going to keep Scott on the bench?

It's a really tough spot for the Dodgers to already be in, considering we are only in early June. But his recent slide is alarming, and it will most definitely raise some flags in the postseason. Will Los Angeles turn to Scott, the $72-million man? That type of investment in a reliever forces their hand, so he'll need to figure things out quick.

As for the Padres' bullpen, they had a red-hot start collectively to begin the 2025 season, but have since seen multiple arms struggle. Yes, it is only the regular season, but some of the top teams are already needing to rethink their bullpen hierarchy. Those arms are most crucial in October, but their roles are ironed out in the summer.