Rangers Sign Kirby Yates to Bolster Bullpen

By Nate Miller

December 5, 2023

The Texas Rangers have made their first splash of the 2023 Winter Meetings by signing right-hander Kirby Yates. The one-year pact between the two sides was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. For the moment, the financial details of the deal, which is pending a physical, are unknown. This move is an indication that the Rangers are making the bullpen a top priority this offseason. Kirby Yates should be a welcomed addition to a Rangers team that, despite winning its first World Series, finished 24th in the majors in bullpen ERA (4.77) in the regular season.

Yates’ Emergence in 2023

Kirby Yates had a nice bounce-back season in ’23. He logged a 3.28 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings for the Atlanta Braves. Yates finished with a respectable record of 7–2 with a WHIP of 1.193. This was a refreshing change of pace, both for for him and the Braves. That stretch came after a string of injuries that limited him to 11 1/3 innings over the previous three seasons. Those injuries forced Yates to sit out the entire 2021 season during the Braves’ World Series run in which they beat the Houston Astros in six games. In 2019, Kirby Yates established himself as of the most dominant relievers in baseball. He led the National League with 41 saves that year, compiling a 1.19 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings.

What He Brings to the Rangers

Yates brings a much-needed veteran presence to the Rangers’ bullpen. As previously mentioned, they ranked in the bottom-five in ERA. These are results that manager Bruce Bochy, as well as the both the coaching and front office staffs, would like to see improvement. Yates is a veteran of nine seasons in the major leagues. He owns a career ERA of 3.53 over 361 games. Along with his tour of duty with the Braves, he has also spent time with the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, and the San Diego Padres. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what the Rangers do with their remaining time at the Winter Meetings. They run through Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee.