The Los Angeles Dodgers do not have many holes on their roster, but perhaps they could use a more consistent closer. The team paid Tanner Scott in the offseason, but he has had his fair share of struggles.
The Dodgers gave Scott a four-year, $72 million deal in free agency. He had established himself as a solid closer for the Miami Marlins before he was traded to the San Diego Padres. Last season, he had 22 saves and a 1.75 ERA. This season, his ERA is at 3.86, but he does have 18 saves, leading the Dodgers.
While he has been the team's primary closer, Scott is a versatile reliever, allowing Dave Roberts to deploy him in any high-leverage situation. However, the results have not lived up to expectations so far. He has blown six saves on the season, and the Dodgers could want to get another option besides him or Kirby Yates to close games. The Athletic's Jim Bowden, while discussing what the Cleveland Guardians could get in return for Emmanuel Clase, suggested the Guardians "offer him to the Dodgers for Andy Pages."
Pages has put up numbers that should have gotten him an All-Star nod. In his second season, he has a .283/.323/484 slash line with 17 home runs in 90 games. He is under club control through 2031, and trading him would be a shock. If the Dodgers cut ties with him, they would almost be forced to make Hyeseong Kim an everyday player, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Kim or Tommy Edman could play in the outfield every day while the other slots in at second base. The Dodgers would have to ride a platoon at third base while Max Muncy recovers, however. On the other hand, Clase was arguably the most dominant reliever for the last three years. He is a three-time All-Star and had a 0.61 ERA and 47 saves last year.
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From 2022 to 2024, he had a 1.72 ERA and 133 saves. This season, he has 19 saves and a 3.12 ERA. However, the Dodgers could get him to be their closer and deploy Scott as a setup man. Clase is still a dominant option and has a 1.33 ERA since the start of May. He is also under club control through 2028.
A bullpen that features Clase and Scott could be a lethal duo for the Dodgers. Trading Pages may deal a significant blow to the offense, but the Dodgers may already have the pieces in place to replace him. However, the fact that they are not using those same pieces to replace Michael Conforto is puzzling. A trade involving Pages is highly unlikely, but Bowden thinks the Guardians can get a productive offensive player for Clase.
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