The Los Angeles Dodgers, fresh off their triumph in the 2024 World Series, have continued to make waves this offseason, further strengthening their roster. After making several key acquisitions, including the recent signing of star reliever Tanner Scott, the Dodgers are far from finished. On Tuesday morning, they struck another deal, this time bringing in another top-tier reliever, Kirby Yates.
The Dodgers’ bullpen, which had previously been viewed as a potential weak link, now looks significantly more formidable. While the team had a solid core of pitchers, they needed a few more key pieces to truly round out the bullpen. The addition of Tanner Scott last week helped address this gap, and the agreement with Kirby Yates only further bolsters their relief options.
Bob Nightengale reported on X (formerly Twitter) that the Dodgers had reached a tentative agreement with Yates, pending a physical, just days after securing Scott on a lucrative four-year, $72 million contract. This move signals Los Angeles’ commitment to building an unstoppable bullpen, which now includes some of the most reliable arms in the game.
Yates, who had a career-best season with the Texas Rangers in 2024, adds even more firepower to the Dodgers’ already deep roster. He finished the year with a remarkable 1.17 ERA, accumulating 33 saves, earning his second All-Star nod, and finishing eighth in the American League Cy Young voting. With his stellar performance, Yates is poised to be a significant force in Los Angeles’ bullpen, although he may not even be the closer, with Scott and Michael Kopech also in the mix for ninth-inning duties.
As other teams tighten their belts and hesitate to make major moves in free agency, the Dodgers are setting themselves apart by assembling an extraordinarily talented team. With the bullpen now a clear strength, and a roster that already appears nearly complete, it’s hard to imagine the Dodgers being done making moves this offseason. Fans can expect Los Angeles to remain active, and further additions wouldn’t come as a surprise before the start of the 2025 season.