The Dodgers’ latest offseason addition is complete.
On Tuesday night, the team agreed to a one-year, $13-million contract with veteran right-handed reliever Kirby Yates, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly. The signing came a week after news emerged the Dodgers and Yates were in advanced discussions on a deal.
Yates, 37, joins the Dodgers coming off an All-Star season with the Texas Rangers in 2024, in which he posted a 1.17 ERA in 61 games with 33 saves.
A 10-year veteran who was also an All-Star in 2019 with the San Diego Padres, Yates has a career 3.17 ERA and has improved every season since returning from a 2021 Tommy John surgery.
The Dodgers will have to clear a 40-man roster spot to finalize their signing with Yates, the details of which were first reported by MLB.com and ESPN.
The team has reportedly been shopping several players, including reliever Ryan Brasier. That type of move could ease a potential logjam in the bullpen. With Yates, the Dodgers will now have seven veteran relievers with no minor-league options — a potential source of inflexibility for a team that has made a habit of shuttling relievers back and forth from the minors in recent years to ease the workload of its starting rotation.
Either way, Yates’ arrival marks the latest notable addition for a Dodgers team that has now committed $458.5 million in guaranteed money this offseason through free-agent signings and contract extensions.
Yates’ deal could grow in value too. He will receive a $500,000 bonus for pitching 50 games and another $500,000 bonus for pitching 55 times, providing an opportunity for him to raise the contract’s total value to $14 million next season.