The Cubs had interest in the top reliever on the free agent market.

But, as has seemingly been the case all winter, the shining lights of Los Angeles are too hard to pass up.

Left-handed reliever Tanner Scott agreed to a 4-year, $72 million contract, per reports. The news was first reported by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

Scott represented the best bullpen piece in free agency after a stellar 2024 campaign with Miami and San Diego. Scott had a 1.18 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 18 saves with Miami, establishing himself as the clear best option ahead of last July’s trade deadline. The Padres put together a package that led to a 6-player trade that netted them Scott.

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He regressed slightly in San Diego but was still dominant — he posted a 2.73 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 26.1 innings before hitting the open market.

And that led him up the I-5 to Los Angeles, where he joins a loaded Dodgers team.

Earlier in the week, the World Series champions won the sweepstakes for Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. That comes on top of the free agent additions of starter Blake Snell (San Francisco) and outfielder Teoscar Hernández.

For the Cubs, they’ll now shift their attention to other options on the relief market.

Jed Hoyer and the front office have tried to take a volume approach to combat the bullpen issues that plagued them in the first half of 2024. They’ve added options, options and then more options.

But those additions haven’t come with the type of proven backend relief arms. Porter Hodge remains the player on the 40-man roster with the most saves after recording 9 in his rookie campaign. They’d like to add more veteran prowess in that area of the team.

“I think quality relievers,” Hoyer said this weekend at Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand. “Sometimes those guys have closed, sometimes they haven’t. But it never hurts, but I don’t think it’s a prerequisite.”