The Angels have reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with former All-Star closer Kirby Yates, a move that continues their offseason trend of taking low-risk fliers on players looking to bounce back from disappointing seasons.
The deal is reportedly pending a physical.
Yates, 38, was an All-Star reliever in 2019 and 2024. He spent last season with the Dodgers, pitching in 50 games with a 5.23 ERA. He dealt with hamstring and back injuries throughout the season, including a hamstring injury that took him out of postseason play.
The Angels have already added starters Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah, reliever Jordan Romano and infielder Vaughn Grissom, all of whom were injured, ineffective or both in 2025. They also signed free-agent reliever Drew Pomeranz, who is coming off a good season.
Yates turned around his career after he was briefly with the Angels at the start of the 2017 season. He pitched just one inning with the Angels that season and then was designated for assignment. He joined the Padres and posted a 2.55 ERA over parts of four seasons, including a league-leading 41 saves in 2019.
After struggling in 2022, Yates had a 3.28 ERA with the Atlanta Braves in 2023 and a 1.17 mark with the Texas Rangers in 2024. With Texas, Yates worked with pitching coach Mike Maddux, who is now the Angels’ pitching coach.
Yates and Romano join right-handers Robert Stephenson and Ben Joyce as options to win the closer role. Although all four have had varying levels of success in the majors, none are coming off productive seasons. Stephenson and Joyce missed almost the entire 2025 season with injuries.
