The Los Angeles Dodgers simply won’t quit bulking up their roster in preparation for another World Series run.
On Tuesday, USA Today baseball insider Bob Nightengale reported that the Dodgers had come to a tentative agreement with All-Star reliever Kirby Yates. While terms and conditions were not immediately disclosed, the contract was reportedly dependent on Yates passing a physical.
The move continues to bulk up the back end of the Dodgers bullpen following the club inking Tanner Scott, one of the biggest reliever names on the free-agent market, to a four-year, $72 million deal just two days earlier.
Shortly after that move, reports surfaced that the Dodgers had an interest in Yates before signing Scott. While many thought the Scott signing would have the Dodgers moving on from Yates, Los Angeles once again proved that it can seemingly pick and choose its moves this offseason.
Last season with the Texas Rangers, the 37-year-old Yates posted a 1.17 ERA in 61.2 innings. Among all relief pitchers, he was third in bWAR (3.3) while finishing fourth on the Rangers in that department. He also finished eighth in American League Cy Young voting.
