It’s safe to say that the Kirby Yates signing has been disastrous for the Los Angeles Dodgers thus far in the 2025 season.
The veteran right-handed reliever was coming off a brilliant season with the Texas Rangers in which he sported a microscopic 1.17 ERA. The multi-time All-Star has a wealth of experience closing and in high-leverage spots. When the Dodgers inked him to a one-year deal worth $13 million, it was viewed as a move to further strengthen what was considered to be a very good bullpen.
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However, whether it be Father Time creeping into the picture or another factor, Yates at age 38 has been far from good this season.
Yates has a 5.23 ERA on the year. He is giving up plenty of hard contract and has been failing to put hitters away. Couple that with health issues, including a balky hamstring at the moment, and his future with the team for the remainder of this season remains a major question mark.
Manager Dave Roberts was specifically asked about Yates in the wake of recently going on the IL. He said Yates is “doing everything he can to post, but it just clearly has taken a toll on him.”
Roberts went on to say that the team will “retroactive him (on the IL to Sept. 21) and try to get him back for something down the road.”
Tanner Scott – 4.91 ERA, 10 blown saves
Blake Treinen – 5.55 ERA, 4 losses in last 5 appearances
Kirby Yates – 5.23 ERA, 9 ER in last 10 IP
The Dodgers trio is making a combined $42.5 million this season.
— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) September 24, 2025
The bullpen has been and continues to be a major problem down the stretch. This is particularly the case with right-handed options. Things have gotten so dire that Roki Sasaki has been rushed up to the big league roster now as a reliever rather than in his accustomed starting role.
It remains unclear whether Yates can regain the form he demonstrated last season. Based on what the team has seen up to this point, barring a complete miracle, he doesn’t look like someone the team can credibly count on to get outs in pressure-packed situations.
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Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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