Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
As if signing Tanner Scott over the weekend was enough, it seems the Dodgers are set to bring in another high-leverage reliever in Kirby Yates.
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
Before Scott, this would have made a ton of sense. After, well, it’s just a luxury. However, there’s a method to the madness.
The Dodgers, who will have a payroll exceeding $380 million, wanted more bullpen depth with reliever Michael Kopech expected to possibly miss the first month of the season. https://t.co/ih7PGRbZHI
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 21, 2025
Apparently, Michael Kopech is hurt? I don’t recall hearing much about that, but this would allow the Dodgers to make this move for Yates considering the roster limitations.
Despite that, it seems like there could be a trade or two on the horizon because that bullpen is super full.
Interesting to see the lack of flexibility in terms of options for the Dodgers pitching staff. Curious to see if one of those relievers gets moved allowing them for more wiggle room? Or maybe they don't mind considering there will likely be injuries? pic.twitter.com/8Gp8GHjvRl
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) January 21, 2025
Ryan Brasier (and/or Dustin May?), we hardly knew ye. If nothing else, Yates is a safeguard against guys who either missed significant time last season, are expected to miss significant time this season and against the dreaded “forearm strain/tightness” that Kopech experienced last season.
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The Dodgers had interest in Yates, 37, a few years ago before he had Tommy John surgery prior to the 2021 season. He came back at the end of 2022 for seven innings before logging 60 1/3 in 2023. He had a 3.51 ERA, 4.63 FIP and a 16.9 K-BB%, so his resurgence in 2024 was a welcome sign for him, if even a bit unexpected due to his age and injury history.
Yates is coming off a strong All-Star campaign with the Rangers that saw him pitch to a 1.17 ERA, 2.50 FIP and a strong 24.1 K-BB%. He did all that with a fastball that averages 93.2 MPH. That’s on the lower end these days, especially for relievers. Regardless, that fastball allowed just a .113 batting average against, had an average exit velocity of 88 MPH and induced a 35.3 Whiff%. His split-finger fastball was equally as good in some aspects (.114 BAA, 87 MPH EV, 31.1 Whiff%), but he didn’t allow much slug on it. Opposing batters had just two extra-base hits — both doubles — off his splitter in 2024.
According to the Pitcher Run Value leaderboard, Yates’ pitches were +24, fourth-best among relievers and better than most starting pitchers. In what surely isn’t a coincidence, Scott was one spot behind Yates at +23. Yates was also one of two pitchers (not just relievers) in baseball to be in the 100th percentile when it comes to expected wOBA, xBA and xSLG — the Athletics’ Mason Miller being the other.
That will definitely play.
More importantly, the Dodgers have, seemingly, solved their bullpen strikeout issue. The 2024 squad had just a 23 K% — the lowest of the Andrew Friedman era (2015-present). Adding Yates, Scott and retaining Treinen should see the ‘pen produce many more strikeouts than it did this past season.
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I’m almost never against adding talent, and this is no exception. This is getting embarrassing — for the rest of MLB. None of the deals the Dodgers have made this offseason have been Shohei Ohtani-esque. Any team could have signed Michael Conforto, Teoscar Hernandez, Blake Snell, Scott, Yates and so on. Those teams chose not to. The Dodgers benefit from the league’s seemingly refusal to pay for premium talent. That’s why they’re the odds-on favorite to win the World Series again, and probably will be the favorite for the foreseeable future.
