It has now been two full seasons since Kirby Yates last stood at the pinnacle of his profession as one of baseball’s most dominant late-inning arms. Back in 2024, he was not just effective—he was elite. Serving as the closer for the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers, Yates delivered one of the finest seasons of his career.
He posted a microscopic 1.17 ERA while converting 33 saves, establishing himself as one of the most reliable bullpen weapons in the game. His ability to miss bats remained a defining trait, as he struck out more than a batter per inning and consistently shut down opposing offenses in high-leverage situations. At that point, he looked like a pitcher who had fully recaptured the dominance he had shown earlier in his career.
However, the seasons that followed painted a very different picture, illustrating just how quickly fortunes can change for relief pitchers in Major League Baseball. After his standout campaign in Texas, Yates’ trajectory took a downward turn. In 2025, he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team fresh off a championship run and loaded with pitching talent.
Expectations were relatively high, but the results did not match the optimism. Yates struggled to maintain consistency throughout the year, and his performance was ultimately underwhelming. Injuries also played a role in limiting his impact, contributing to a season that failed to live up to the standard he had set just one year earlier. By the end of that campaign, his reputation had taken a noticeable hit.
Seeking a fresh start, Yates signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels in January 2026, a contract worth $5 million that reflected both his past accomplishments and the uncertainty surrounding his current form.
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The move represented an opportunity for both player and team. For Yates, it was a chance to reestablish himself as a dependable reliever. For the Angels, it was a relatively low-risk investment in a veteran arm with a proven track record of success.
Yet even before he could begin contributing on the field, Yates encountered another setback. Inflammation in his left knee forced him to miss the first month of the regular season, delaying his debut with his new team.
For a pitcher already dealing with questions about durability, the injury did little to inspire confidence. It also meant that when the Angels opened their season, they did so without one of the key bullpen pieces they had hoped would stabilize their pitching staff.
Meanwhile, the Angels themselves experienced a dramatic shift in fortunes. Early in the season, they hovered around the .500 mark, showing signs that they might be able to remain competitive. For roughly the first three weeks, there was at least some sense of balance in their performance.
However, that stability proved to be short-lived. Beginning in mid-April, the team’s performance deteriorated rapidly. Losses began to pile up, and what had once looked like a potentially respectable season quickly unraveled.
Since April 17, the Angels have posted one of the worst records in Major League Baseball, going 12-27 over that stretch. Their collapse has been stark, transforming them from a fringe contender into one of the league’s most struggling teams.
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Advanced projections have only reinforced the bleak outlook. According to FanGraphs, their playoff odds have plummeted to just 1.1 percent, the lowest mark in the American League. In practical terms, their postseason hopes are all but extinguished, barring an extraordinary turnaround.
Interestingly, this team-wide decline has coincided with a personal resurgence for Yates. After being activated from the injured list, he has quietly put together a string of encouraging performances. In eight appearances, he has delivered six scoreless outings, demonstrating an ability to limit damage and keep opponents off the scoreboard.
Overall, he has posted a 3.68 ERA across 7.1 innings, allowing just four hits while recording 10 strikeouts. While the sample size remains small, these numbers suggest that he still possesses the tools necessary to be an effective reliever.
This juxtaposition Yates performing well while the team around him struggles—has not gone unnoticed. In fact, it has elevated his profile as a potential trade candidate as the season progresses toward the August 3 deadline.
Relievers with a history of success are always in demand, particularly among contending teams looking to strengthen their bullpens for a playoff push. Yates fits that description, especially given his relatively modest contract situation.
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His deal, a one-year agreement worth $5 million, makes him an especially attractive option on the trade market. For teams seeking bullpen help, the financial commitment required to acquire him is minimal, reducing one of the typical barriers to making a midseason move. Because he is on an expiring contract, acquiring him would not involve a long-term obligation, which further enhances his appeal to contenders focused on the immediate goal of winning.
From a scouting perspective, Yates offers a skill set that has proven effective over the course of his career. He has never been known as a pitcher who overwhelms hitters with elite velocity. Instead, his success has been built on deception, movement, and pitch sequencing.
His signature weapon is a sharp, late-breaking splitter, which he pairs with a four-seam fastball that typically sits around 90 miles per hour. The contrast between those pitches can make it extremely difficult for hitters to square him up when he is executing effectively.
Even in the current season, there are indicators that his approach continues to work. Opponents have been limited to a low expected batting average against him, hovering around the .200 mark, which reflects his ability to induce weak contact or swings and misses.
His strikeout rate, which sits above 30 percent, places him among the more effective relievers in the game in that regard. These underlying metrics suggest that his performance is not merely a fluke but rather the result of sustained effectiveness in key areas.
Of course, there are legitimate concerns that could temper enthusiasm among potential suitors. Yates is approaching 40 years old, an age at which many pitchers begin to experience decline. Additionally, his recent injury history raises questions about his durability over the course of a full season. Teams considering a trade would need to weigh these risks against the potential benefits he provides.
However, those concerns are counterbalanced by his extensive track record. Over the course of his career, Yates has appeared in hundreds of games across multiple organizations, including the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and now the Angels.
In those appearances, he has accumulated nearly 100 career saves and maintained an ERA in the mid-3.00 range, reflecting a consistently high level of performance. His experience in a variety of bullpen roles—ranging from setup duties to closing—adds to his versatility and value.
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As the Angels continue to slide further out of contention, the likelihood of them becoming sellers at the trade deadline increases. For general manager Perry Minasian, this presents an opportunity to extract value from players who may not be part of the team’s long-term plans. Yates, given his contract status and recent performance, fits squarely into that category.
If he continues to pitch effectively and remains healthy in the coming weeks, interest from other teams is almost certain to grow. Contenders are always on the lookout for reliable bullpen arms, particularly those with postseason experience and a history of handling high-pressure situations. Yates checks those boxes, making him a logical target for teams aiming to solidify their late-inning options.
In the end, the situation surrounding Yates reflects both the volatility of relief pitching and the broader dynamics of a struggling team navigating a disappointing season.
Just two years removed from being one of the most dominant closers in baseball, he now finds himself in a position where his primary value may lie in what he can bring back in a trade. For the Angels, the decision may ultimately come down to timing identifying the moment when his value is highest and capitalizing on it.
Given the trajectory of the team and Yates’ recent performance, that moment could be approaching quickly. If the current trends hold, it would not be surprising to see his name surface frequently in trade discussions as the deadline draws near. In many ways, his story encapsulates the unpredictable nature of baseball careers, where success and uncertainty often exist side by side, and where a player’s role can shift dramatically in a relatively short period of time.
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