Angels pick at Dodgers' scrapheap with one-year deal for notorious bullpen flop

The Dodgers haven't done quite as much bullpen restructuring as some fans might like (Blake Treinen is still on the roster) this offseason, but cutting some fat and letting guys walk at least removed some unsavory variables from the equation in 2026.

Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates formed a tragically awful, ridiculously expensive 1-2 punch of Dodgers' free agent reliever signings this past season, but LA is stuck with Scott for three more years on what now looks like a very ill-advised long-term deal. Yates, who was frequently injured, pitched to a 5.23 ERA over 41 1/3 innings, and still made $13 million to technically make him the Dodgers' highest-paid reliever in 2025 (Scott has a higher AAV, but made $12.59 million in 2025), blessedly walked in free agency.

On Tuesday, on the heels of reporting that the Angels and Anthony Rendon have reached an agreement to restructure his deal and end his tenure, Ari Alexander reported that Yates will be moving down the road to the Dodgers' little brother in Anaheim. The Angels are reportedly giving him a one-year deal, but the money attached isn't yet known (it definitely won't be $13 million).

Angels sign Kirby Yates to a one-year deal after awful season with Dodgers

The Angels have made a few questionable moves this offseason, starting with hiring Kurt Suzuki to replace Ron Washington as manager — but only giving him a one-year deal. They traded Taylor Ward to the Orioles for Grayson Rodriguez, traded prospect Isaiah Jackson to the Red Sox for Vaughn Grissom, and have signed a handful of pitchers — Alek Manoah, Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano, and now Yates — to one-year deals.

Apart from Pomeranz, all of these pitchers are looking for bounce-back seasons (though you might even be able to include Pomeranz, who was in the minors until late April). It's pretty clear the Angels are going for quantity over quality.

They lost Kenley Jansen to the Tigers in free agency, and it certainly looks like they're going to count on Yates to close out a majority of their games in 2026.

They probably didn't have to give him that much money, and no one expects the Angels to be competitive anyway, so it's a low-risk place for him to try to keep his career alive even in his age-39 season. But going to a team that has previously declined to install AC in their facilities has got to be a little bit of a blow to the ego after technically winning a World Series with the team just up the road.