MLB rumors: Dodgers continue wild offseason spending spree with new bullpen addition

Major League Baseball’s offseason continues to wind down, with just a few weeks remaining until pitchers and catchers report to camps in Florida and Arizona. This, then, is the ideal time for clubs to apply the finishing touches to their roster. Below, CBS Sports has compiled all of Tuesday’s most notable news, moves, and rumors in one place for your convenience. Let’s get to it.

The Dodgers, fresh off signing lefty reliever Tanner Scott over the weekend, have reached an agreement with right-hander Kirby Yates, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The terms were not immediately reported.

CBS Sports ranked Yates as the 36th-best free agent on the market entering the winter. Here’s what we wrote at the time:

We figure that Yates’ market will be limited by his durability and his command. He’s thrown 60 innings in consecutive seasons, but he had previously missed most of three seasons because of injury woes. Additionally, he’s walked nearly five batters per nine over the last two years. Mind you, Yates has succeeded despite the free passes by excelling at managing contact — both in terms of quality and frequency. He has a two-pitch approach: 93 mph fastballs up and to the glove side, and trapdoor splitters low. Each pitch generated a whiff rate over 30% and a batting average against under .115 in 2024. It’s possible that Yates’ body breaks down again, or that he loses just enough stuff to render him less effective. That risk, however, ought to limit his market to short-term deals that could make him one of the best relief bargains of the winter. 

Yates, 37, posted a 1.17 ERA (340 ERA+) in 61 innings last season. He joins a bullpen that’ll include Blake Treinen, Scott, and Michael Kopech, among others.