The Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a contract extension with Relief Pitcher Kirby Yates on Tuesday morning. The exact terms of the deal are yet to be announced. Yates is coming off a tremendous season with the Texas Rangers. He was 7-2 with a 1.17 ERA. Kirby was also seventh in the league with 33 saves and was near the top of the league in many statistics amongst relievers with 60+ innings pitched. It included leading the league in opposing batting average and in the top five in ERA, WHIP, and strikeout percentage.
Kirby’s stellar 2024 season led to his second career All-Star appearance and second top-10 Cy Young finish. He finished eighth in Cy Young voting last season. With Kirby now being a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, how will this deal work out for both sides?
Los Angeles Dodgers Continue a Busy Offseason
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who already have folks screaming about their payroll, have reached a tentative agreement with free-agent closer Kirby Yates, pending a physical. The deal comes on the heels of signing Tanner Scott to a 4-year, $72 million contract.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 21, 2025
Los Angeles had not rested on its laurels after winning the 2024 World Series. They have overhauled a pitching staff that was injury-plagued last year. They signed Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Yates to improve that part of the roster.
LA’s skeleton of a pitching staff forced them to use “openers” in the postseason as they ran out of healthy arms. That strategy helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series, but it is not a sustainable approach. Even with the rash of injuries, Los Angeles was 13th in ERA during the regular season and 9th during the MLB Playoffs. The Dodgers offense had a historic postseason run that helped overcome a depleted pitching staff.
Final Thoughts
Yates is a great signing that will help bolster a weakness of the team last season. He is coming off arguably the best season of his career and will look to have a similar degree of success this season in Los Angeles. Los Angeles is the prohibitive favorite to win the 2025 World Series after having one of the most active offseasons in Major League Baseball.
