Dodgers finalize deal with Kirby Yates for a lot more money than fans expected

Emma Lingan

Seattle Mariners v Texas Rangers / Richard Rodriguez/GettyImages

A week after the news first broke that the Los Angeles Dodgers had reached a "tentative agreement" with free agent reliever Kirby Yates, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com finally reported that the right-hander passed his physical on Tuesday, paving the way for the deal to become official.

The one-year contract is a $13 million guarantee with a $1 million bonus that Yates would unlock by reaching 55 appearances, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. More specifically, the bonus consists of $500,000 bonuses at 50 and 55 appearances, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The "tentative agreement" between Yates and the Dodgers was first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today on Jan. 21.

Kirby Yates has passed his physical with the Dodgers, per source, clearing the final hurdle for his one-year deal.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 29, 2025

Dodgers finalize deal with Kirby Yates for a lot more money than fans expected

Yates has a career 3.17 ERA across 422 appearances with the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Padres, Atlanta Braves, and Rangers. Coming off the best season of his career in 2024, Yates earned himself a hefty raise in free agency after signing a one-year, $4.5 million deal last offseason.

Yates, who will turn 38 in March, turned in an exceptional 1.17 ERA last season while striking out nearly 36% of batters faced for the Texas Rangers. He went 33-for-34 on save opportunities over 61 2/3 innings — the second-highest workload of his career, behind 63 innings pitched as a member of the San Diego Padres in 2018.

Not long before agreeing to terms with Yates, Los Angeles also signed Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract with deferrals. The Dodgers have now signed two All-Star closers in a span of days, though it was reported last week that Scott – who spent the last three seasons as a closer for the Miami Marlins and the Padres – will not fill the same role for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers will have to clear a 40-man roster spot for Yates once his signing becomes official. He will join Scott, Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, and Anthony Banda in what is arguably one of the league's best bullpens in 2025.

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Emma Lingan

Emma Lingan is an MLB Staff Writer for FanSided primarily covering the Pittsburgh Pirates. She has been covering baseball for more than a decade dating back to her time as a student at Wake Forest University, and she has won two gold medals as a member of the U.S. National Team delegation (2016 Pan-American Championships & 2017 World Baseball Classic). A native of Washington, D.C. and current resident of Nashville, Tenn., she is also entering her seventh season as a credentialed NHL media member and currently covers the NHL’s Nashville Predators for The Hockey News. When she's not watching hockey, baseball or football, she enjoys podcasting, reading, going to the gym, consuming large amounts of coffee and taking long walks with her dog, Minkah. You can follow her @Emma_lingan on Twitter and Instagram.