As if signing Tanner Scott over the weekend was sufficient, it appears the Dodgers are set to usher in one other high-leverage reliever in Kirby Yates.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who have already got of us screaming about their payroll, have reached a tentative settlement with free-agent nearer Kirby Yates, pending a bodily. The deal comes on the heels of signing Tanner Scott to a 4-year, $72 million contract.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 21, 2025
Earlier than Scott, this may have made a ton of sense. After, effectively, it’s only a luxurious. Nonetheless, there’s a technique to the insanity.
The Dodgers, who can have a payroll exceeding $380 million, wished extra bullpen depth with reliever Michael Kopech anticipated to presumably miss the primary month of the season. https://t.co/ih7PGRbZHI
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 21, 2025
Apparently, Michael Kopech is harm? I don’t recall listening to a lot about that, however this may enable the Dodgers to make this transfer for Yates contemplating the roster limitations.
Regardless of that, it looks as if there may very well be a commerce or two on the horizon as a result of that bullpen is tremendous full.
Attention-grabbing to see the dearth of flexibility when it comes to choices for the Dodgers pitching workers. Curious to see if a type of relievers will get moved permitting them for extra wiggle room? Or possibly they do not thoughts contemplating there’ll seemingly be accidents? pic.twitter.com/8Gp8GHjvRl
— Alex Quick (@AlexFast8) January 21, 2025
Ryan Brasier (and/or Dustin Might?), we hardly knew ye. If nothing else, Yates is a safeguard in opposition to guys who both missed vital time final season, are anticipated to overlook vital time this season and in opposition to the dreaded “forearm pressure/tightness” that Kopech skilled final season.
——
The Dodgers had curiosity in Yates, 37, just a few years in the past earlier than he had Tommy John surgical procedure previous to the 2021 season. He got here again on the finish of 2022 for seven innings earlier than logging 60 1/3 in 2023. He had a 3.51 ERA, 4.63 FIP and a 16.9 Okay-BB%, so his resurgence in 2024 was a welcome signal for him, if even a bit sudden as a consequence of his age and damage historical past.
Yates is coming off a powerful All-Star marketing campaign with the Rangers that noticed him pitch to a 1.17 ERA, 2.50 FIP and a powerful 24.1 Okay-BB%. He did all that with a fastball that averages 93.2 MPH. That’s on the decrease finish as of late, particularly for relievers. Regardless, that fastball allowed only a .113 batting common in opposition to, had a median exit velocity of 88 MPH and induced a 35.3 Whiff%. His split-finger fastball was equally nearly as good in some facets (.114 BAA, 87 MPH EV, 31.1 Whiff%), however he didn’t enable a lot slug on it. Opposing batters had simply two extra-base hits — each doubles — off his splitter in 2024.
In keeping with the Pitcher Run Worth leaderboard, Yates’ pitches had been +24, fourth-best amongst relievers and higher than most beginning pitchers. In what absolutely isn’t a coincidence, Scott was one spot behind Yates at +23. Yates was additionally one in every of two pitchers (not simply relievers) in baseball to be within the one centesimal percentile with regards to anticipated wOBA, xBA and xSLG — the Athletics’ Mason Miller being the opposite.
That can undoubtedly play.
Extra importantly, the Dodgers have, seemingly, solved their bullpen strikeout problem. The 2024 squad had only a 23 Okay% — the bottom of the Andrew Friedman period (2015-present). Including Yates, Scott and retaining Treinen ought to see the ‘pen produce many extra strikeouts than it did this previous season.
——
I’m virtually by no means in opposition to including expertise, and that is no exception. That is getting embarrassing — for the remainder of MLB. Not one of the offers the Dodgers have made this offseason have been Shohei Ohtani-esque. Any workforce might have signed Michael Conforto, Teoscar Hernandez, Blake Snell, Scott, Yates and so forth. These groups selected to not. The Dodgers profit from the league’s seemingly refusal to pay for premium expertise. That’s why they’re the odds-on favourite to win the World Collection once more, and possibly would be the favourite for the foreseeable future.