Dodgers’ signing of Kirby Yates is latest example of effort to shore up pitching staff
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The Dodgers held their fifth introductory news conference of the offseason Friday. For the fourth time, it was to welcome a notable pitching addition to the organization.
A coincidence, this trend is not.
In veteran reliever Kirby Yates, who was introduced Friday after signing a one-year, $13-million deal this week, the Dodgers inserted yet another proven commodity into their already stout bullpen, adding a 37-year-old right-hander coming off an All-Star season with the Texas Rangers.
“I still think I can do this for a few more years at a high level,” said Yates, who recorded 33 saves last year with a 1.17 earned-run average, second-best among MLB relievers. “I like where I’m at.”
The Dodgers agreed to terms with reliever Alex Vesia, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.
So too do the Dodgers — who, in landing Yates, moved closer to achieving one of their top priorities this winter.
After watching their reshaped pitching staff get ravaged by injuries last year — at multiple points, nearly derailing the club’s pursuit of a World Series title — the Dodgers went into this offseason looking to bolster their pitching options across the board.
It started with their marquee, $182-million signing of two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell in November, infusing the top of the starting rotation with another elite arm. It continued with their victory in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes this month, netting the 23-year-old Japanese phenom on a bargain-price contract.
More recently, it culminated with the addition of Yates and last week’s $72-million signing of top free-agent reliever Tanner Scott, giving the Dodgers renewed bullpen depth.
“There’s a really strong combination of high-end talent and also depth,” general manager Brandon Gomes said of the staff. “We feel like we’re in a good position.”
Granted, the old adage that “you can never have enough pitching” still applies.
And while Yates’ signing might have been the least splashy, it provided the latest example of how the Dodgers have endeavored to make as many significant pitching upgrades as possible.
“Kirby’s going to fit in perfectly,” said Gomes, a former teammate of Yates in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. “Having that veteran presence, along with a few other guys in the ‘pen, can make the rest of that group even better.”
Yates did come at a cost. In order to finalize his contract, the Dodgers had to designate another veteran reliever, right-hander Ryan Brasier, for assignment to create space on their 40-man roster.
Gomes said that decision was based on preserving “flexibility” in the bullpen. With the Dodgers planning to use a six-man rotation, their ability to regularly shuffle bullpen arms on and off the roster will be important to balance the overall workload. And had the Dodgers not designated Brasier — who still can be traded in the coming week — they would have had seven relievers without any minor-league options.
“It’s a good thing when your roster is that talented,” Gomes said. “But obviously, it created difficult decisions.”
It wasn’t long ago that Brasier was seen as a reliable late-inning option. He posted a 0.70 ERA in 39 appearances in 2023, emerging as a midseason success story after being cut by the Boston Red Sox. He then re-signed on a two-year, $9-million deal last winter, beginning the season as one of the team’s more trusted leverage relievers.
The Dodgers agreed to a one-year, $13-million contract with veteran right-handed reliever Kirby Yates.
However, Brasier managed just 29 outings, missing much of the first half with a calf injury. And while he posted a decent 3.54 ERA, he figured to begin next season further down manager Dave Roberts’ “trust tree” of relievers, especially after struggling at times in the playoffs.
In the past, that might not have been enough to stir the Dodgers to action. After all, Brasier was in line to make a modest $4.5 million. Even with injury and performance question marks, it wouldn’t have been surprising for the club to bypass further reinforcements and begin the season with him in the bullpen.
But the Dodgers aren’t operating the same way they once did — having transformed over the last two offseasons from a big-spending yet value-conscious club, to one with $80 million more in luxury tax payroll than any other team.
That meant when the opportunity to acquire a more dominant veteran reliever arose, the Dodgers hardly blinked at Yates’ $13-million price tag. Instead, in an offseason that largely has been about fool-proofing the pitching staff, they executed their latest impact move.
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